The Helpless Side of Raven
by heartless16
Summary: Raven is trapped between an impending prophecy and Slade's twisted ambitions. The sorceress struggles to free herself from the darkness that is sure to come. Can she fight this fear? Or will she eventually succumb to the chains of helplessness?
1. Chapter 1

**The Helpless side of Raven**

** -Raven is trapped between an impending prophecy and Slade's twisted ambitions. The sorceress struggles to free herself from the darkness that is sure to come. Can she fight this fear? Or will she eventually succumb to the chains of helplessness?**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Teen Titans

**Chapter 1**

* * *

_Silence._

_The sound of the clock echoed in the room, as did the sound of calm breathing. Across, on the other side of the small den, a fireplace roared quietly, it's heat and light giving off a cozy winter vibe._

_Nestled in the plush recliner was a man, not too old and not too young. He was seated comfortably, a thick wool quilt draped across his legs and feet. In his hands was a red mug, no doubt filled with coffee. Coffee was his favorite drink, after all._

_"In the beginning, there was a prophesy." The man began to speak, his voice quiet but expressive. __"Well, two prophesies. One that foretold the destruction of the earth. This prophecy didn't come to pass."_

_He paused, taking a sip of the hot liquid. "__But there was another, one shrouded in mystery... one that was simply a story, a fairy tale. Many doubted it's existence and had it disregarded and stowed away in the ancient writing."_

_"This prophecy nearly came to pass...several years ago, in the small city of Jump." The fire crackled softly, casting a soft glow through out the room. In the corner, a black cat lounged nonchalantly on a bed of quilts, daintily washing it's soft silky fur._

_"Oh, this is where you were?" The woman's voice cut across the still silence as did her footsteps when she crossed the room and curled into the burgundy sofa. The black cat gave an excited meow, rose from it's resting place to jump into the woman's lap. A pleasant smile graced the woman' face as she gathered the feline into her arms. "Why are you talking to yourself?"_

_The man stared blankly. "Can't you see the visitors? They want to know about the Hidden Prophecy. Now that you are here, let's tell them the story together." His voice was pleading, as if he'd asked this question many times. He took a sip of coffee from the mug resting on the side table and glanced briefly at a small clipboard in his lap. _

_The woman's face stilled, and her fingers softly wrapped around the small black feline. Her eyes closed softly, and a gentle sigh escaped her lips. "Why? You know I don't really like talking about what happened."_

_"You said the same thing last year, and the year before that. Isn't it better to tell the whole thing now, before we forget?" The man set down the clipboard, a thoughtful frown gracing his features. _

_A thick silence filled the room. "There are things better left unsaid." The fire flickered, as if a cold draft had blown through the room._

_The man said nothing, turning his face back to the visitors. "I'll start a few months before...during a party in Gotham City. Um, everyone was there...all of our friends. We hadn't seen each other in a while, so everyone was really worked up. Of course, no teenage party would be complete without booze, and there was plenty."_

_A distant look entered the man's eyes. "Perhaps we had a bit too much. Somehow, someone managed to get injured. I don't know why, though."_

_"He brought it upon himself, coming onto me like a bitch in heat." The woman cut in, not bothering to look up from her sketch book. "It really freaked me out."_

_The man turned, a small smile on his face. "It was Roy, wasn't it? He always was a playboy."_

_The woman smiled softly her eyes still facing the sketch book. "Yes, it was. I can't stand such things you know. He...frightened me." A soft laugh escaped full red lips." You and the others freaked out after what I did."_

_The man smiled his hands wrapped tightly around a mug of coffee. "Yes, I guess we did. I remember feeling very nervous when I asked you about what happened. Somehow, I felt that you weren't yourself after that party. To this day, I can swear I saw tears in your eyes when we spoke on the roof. Of course, you'll never tell me."_

_The woman shrugged, eyes still focused on the drawing book before her. "He came the next day, didn't he. That man with the mask." Her voice was soft and expressionless._

_"Yes, he did. He came and y-you disappeared." The man looked down at his hands, overcome with emotion. "Everything changed after that day, didn't it?_

_"I... disappeared. Yes, I remember now! That man blocked my powers! And he kidnapped me!" The pencil dropped from the woman's shaking fingers and she looked up, eyes filled with fright. "I couldn't get away, he was too strong!"_

_"I was helpless."_

* * *

Once again, I revised this chapter. I always make the mistake of reading my own stories...just to make sure they flow right. Unfortunately, I end up finding flaw after flaw...

I hated the way this first chapter looked...so childish and annoying. So I'm doing it over. I hope you like the changes.

Please review...tell me what I should change or revise! :)

heartless16


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: look at chapter 1**

**Chapter 3**

**I feel that every time I revise a chapter the number of words becomes less...Well, please read and review.**

**I've added some interesting things to this chapter that are vital to my next few updates.**

******Also, if anyone has any suggestions or ideas on the story and how it should turn out, PLEASE send a review...now that I am updating, it will be easier to add in your suggestions.**

******On with the tale!**

* * *

Violet eyes flickered open, filling with fear at the unfamiliar sights. Where was this place? Why was she here? Right, Slade attacked the team...but why was she captured? What did he want?

Still, it wasn't any use dwelling on the issue...escape was of utmost importance. Raven sat up suddenly, jerking back as a clanking sound filled the silence. It was then that she felt the thick cold chains biting at her wrists and ankles as well as the stiff, frigid table beneath her.

The sorceress jerked at the metal restraints trying, but failing to find a weakness. They were too strong...and without her powers, escape was impossible. Raven took a deep breath and summoned her powers. "Azarath Metrion Zyn- Ahhhhh!"

Searing pain jarred the teenager and she fell back against the bed writhing from the shock of it all. What had he done? An angry moan left the titan's lips, why was Slade always one step ahead? Tentatively, she reclined her head back to the table, it was better to keep a cool head about this. Panicking wasn't going to do her any good in this situation...but what was this collar fastened to her neck?

Raven grasped the collar and pulled, gritting her teeth as a current of electricity raced through her body. The collar will not budge. She collapsed on the bed and screamed in frustration. Silent tears ran down her face. What was going to happen, this time?

Would he...No. Azar, please no. Please don't let that happen again.

Raven jerked upright once more, straining against the cold metal chains. They wouldn't budge before...why would this time be any different? Then again, wasn't desperation a good thing?

Maybe she'd be granted a burst of superhuman strength...wasn't that what always happened in the movies? Only, this wasn't a movie...this was reality. Obviously the rules are different. If there was no escape, and she couldn't remove the collar...maybe death was a better option?

Wouldn't it be safer to let the collar kill her than to suffer at the hands of a villain? At least she'd be granted the honor of dying by her own hands. Slade would never take her life...she would die before that happened.

Raven grasped at the offending collar and began to pull desperately, biting back tears at the memories that flooded her mind. She would rather die than fall into the hands of Slade.

**oOoOo**

_"But I feel perfectly fine." Round violet eyes peered up in confusion and disappointment. This was playtime...she'd finished all the lessons for the day. Why couldn't she go to play now? Besides, weren't these visits for the sick? She felt perfectly fine...well enough to meditate for three hours. __"Lady Abigail, you know I'm not sick, why must I go?" _

_The pout on the small girl's face did little to soften Abigail's resolve. Her face remained as impassive as the goddess Azar when she spoke sternly. __"Dear child, your health is not a concern in this check up. This one is to test your powers. Since you have just turned 13, your powers may begin to go a little... out of control. So we want to perform this checkup, so we may adjust your meditation routine." Her voice was patient, a stark contrast to the obvious irritation in her bland gray eyes._

_"Fine, but I feel that something bad will happen." The young Raven said cryptically, though she complied with the request. __The kind voice and friendly smile of the nurse seemed to calm Raven's nerves. Maybe this wouldn't be a bad experience after all. Perhaps there would be a reward...maybe even candy!_

_"Do not use your powers. It might hurt." The kind nurse warned her, clasping on a heavy necklace and gently ushering her into the room, closing the door quietly._

_With that the young child was alone...and with not much to look at. The room seemed like a typical doctors exam room, with the big blue table, small desk and not so exciting view. __However, unlike most rooms, this one was pure white and had nothing to look at..._

_The door opened and the doctor walked in. When Raven realized who the doctor was, her heart sunk to her stomach. __Priest Enkian was known for harassing the women who went to the temple to pray. Although many people complained, he was never caught. __For the first time in her life, Raven felt trapped._

_Trapped and helpless. _

_"Hello Raven, If you will just sit on this table we will begin the examination." _

_She looked in his eyes, feeling eagerness and an emotion she did not recognize. Violet eyes flashed with desperation. This man was dangerous, why didn't Lady Abigail see that? Why didn't anyone see how strange this man was? _

_Raven lifted her head in anger. __"No, I want to leave." The young child began to pull desperately at the offending collar, a panicked look growing in her eyes. __Why wouldn't the collar come off? _

_"Now dear child you know you can't leave."_

_"I do not care. Let me go." _

_He began to come towards her. She backed away from him till her slender body hit the white colored walls. He put his hand on her shoulder and pinned her to the wall. _

_"Please let me leave." She began to scream then realized that the walls of the temple were sound proof. __He pulled her cloak of roughly..._

**oOoOo**

Deep breath. Deep breath.

Robin slammed his fist on the computer desk, a scream of anger leaving his clenched teeth. Where did Slade go? How could he have taken Raven without a trace? Inhaling swiftly, Robin began to pace round the room, stopping only to turn off the overhead lights.

What did Slade want with Raven? What was his plan? This question haunted Robin the most. Whatever it was...obviously didn't bode well for the team. Running his hands through his disheveled hair, he banished the haunting images from his mind. Silently Robin began to pray for Raven to be safe...She had to be...or he would never forgive himself.

Stopping his erratic movement across the room, the Boy Wonder closed his eyes, wondering if he could still feel Raven with their old bond. He hadn't tried such a thing in a long time...would it even work?

There had been a time when the two used it constantly, carrying on useless conversations and telling stupid jokes. Many childish and unimportant things. It was rarely used when the team were on missions...since the others didn't have such a bond, communicating would become slightly more complicated. Would it work now?

A shout of pain escaped the teen's lips as he collapsed on the floor, skin tingling and burning fiercely. Clawing at his neck, Robin struggled to breathe. What was going on? Why did he feel like...he 'd been electrocuted? The boy's heart was pounding, his throat burned and that scream...was he really the one screaming?

"_Robin, you have to help me please!"_

Raven's voice! She was alive! A wave of relief washed over the teenager. She was fine but where was he holding her? Robin blinked back tears as an onslaught of images flooded his mind. That taunting orange and black mask, an empty dark building... wait were those chains? And that collar, what was with those symbols?

Questions flooded his mind, he had so many things to ask his friend...but somehow, Robin felt that answers would have to wait. The eerie sense of urgency weighing down on his stomach wasn't his own...it was Raven's. The tingling skin, pounding heart and desperation were not his own symptoms and emotions.

Which meant that he was somehow sharing Raven's mind.

"_It's Slade, he's coming. I don't want him to know that we have a bond or he'll block it like my powers."_

Her voice was so clear...and filled with a fear that Robin couldn't comprehend. What was happening in that warehouse? Raven didn't scare easily...so Slade had done something to set her off. It was the only logical explanation. Scrambling to his feet, the Boy Wonder dashed out of his room, making his way to his teammates.

Time was of the essence.

"Guys, Raven's being held in some warehouse. Maybe at the edge of town."

Starfire's eyes widened. "How did you find that out so fast Robin?" Her jade colored eyes gleamed with uncertainty and some measure of disbelief. Understandable disbelief. Three days had passed without a lead...

"We have a bond." Anyway let's go, we don't have much time. Beastboy and Cyborg, check the waterfront. Star, you check the east side."

"And where will you be going, Robin?"

He couldn't help bit cringe at the slight distrust in the alien's voice. Glancing quickly at Cyborg and Beastboy, he wasn't at all surprised at the wariness that glittered in their eyes. After all this time had passed, they still couldn't trust him when Slade came back into the picture.

Robin bit back laughter. How stupid could they be? Why would he try and settle scores when Raven's life was at risk. This was not the time for vengeance...even he knew that.

"The edge of town."

* * *

Metal grated upon metal, its screeching sound filling the air threateningly. Gloved hands...big hands deftly worked at the chains, slowly and calmly unlocking the bindings.

The sound of freedom...and yet why did she feel so trapped?

Raven stood, violet eyes warily staring at the tall, foreboding man before her. Tall, muscular...invincible. Slade was all these things in Raven's timid frightened mind. It was an adoration she dared not admit. "What do you want with me?" She asked, dreading the answer.

He said nothing, as his cold, calculating eye wandered, taking in Raven's slender figure. The sorceress shivered and pulled her cloak tighter, trying to quell her shaking knees. It wouldn't do to appear weak. No, to be weak would be the same as admitting defeat...and Raven could not afford defeat.

Shrugging the hand of the guard from her shoulder Raven glared at Slade. "I am capable of walking on my own." Her eyes flashed in defiance at the villain who stood casually in the doorway, she wouldn't succumb to his tricks just yet.

She wasn't Trigon's daughter for nothing.

Slade chuckled and motioned for the guard to take them to the interrogation room.

**oOoOo**

All the rooms were the same.

Dull grey doors, empty spaces and thick cobwebs. It didn't seem that Slade used this lair often. There wasn't a single piece of technology lying around that hinted at his army of robots. Nor were there any hidden cameras, secret passageways or questionable escape routes.

It was as if he picked this warehouse-looking place at random. And with the hundreds of them that littered the docks and industrial areas of Jump, Robin and the team would never find her in time...

Hadn't three days passed already?

The sorceress removed the thought from her mind and gazed with something akin to fascination at the room she was sent to. It wasn't empty and dusty like all the others. This one had some.. rather interesting details. Sitting dejectedly in the middle of the room was a chair, and beside it, a table with a bunch of glittering objects. Her violet eyes scanned the table incredulously.

Why did Raven get the feeling that Slade set up this room...specifically for the purpose of torturing her? It was as if he had been planning this for a while now...and knowing Slade, it wasn't all that impossible.

Knives.

She paled slightly as she looked at each of them, only cringing when her eyes rested on the dull table knife that looked quite out of place among the many sharp and well crafted instruments. The guard grabbed Raved and tried to shove her into the chair. "Release me. I am perfectly capable of sitting down."

"Let her go." Slade commanded, eyeing the girl with amusement.

Staring warily at the dull knife, Raven sat down and tried not to flinch as the guard cuffed her hands and legs. The sound of clanking metal had never sounded foreboding as it did in those moments. Raven closed her eyes and fought back a wave of fear. Slade could not see that she was frightened...it would only lead to more trouble.

"Now then Raven we are going to play a little game. I will ask you a question. You, my dear are to give me an answer. This answer must be the truth. If not," Raven could sense him smile deviously. "I will not hesitate to use these tools on your...perfectly flawless skin."

As he said those words the villain's gloved hands ghosted down her face and neck, sending shivers down her spine. He was toying with her...the bastard. _First he lets the guard take my cloak...now this?_ She tilted her head slightly but did not respond.

" Tell me, child. What is Robin's real name?" The realization hit her like a ton of bricks. _This was the reason he had_ _captured me! Because he thought that I would know Robin's secret?_

Raven bit her lip in determination. If that's how Slade wants it... She stared at Slade, her eyes carefully blank...all the while locking her knowledge and fear within the depths of her troubled mind. "Robin doesn't trust anyone with his real name."

Slade's hand hovered over the knives...for what seemed like an eternity until he selected one. That forlorn dull table knife. Raven's heart sunk. _This is gonna hurt...  
_  
"Wrong answer." He slowly placed the knife against her cheek and dug in, tilting his head in amusement at the pain she tried desperately to hide from him. "I'll ask you again Raven, what is his real name?"

"He doesn't tell anyone. You of all people should know how paranoid Robin can be." Raven prayed the sarcasm in her voice was vacant. It would not do to aggravate him...not with all these knives sitting around. The teen held her breath, trying to gauge the strange glint in Slade's cold blue eye.

_Robin...please hurry..._

Slade laughed. "Yes, I do know about Robin's paranoia...which is exactly why I chose you." His hand slowly trailed up Raven's bare leg, and she bit her lip to keep from squirming.

_Why does he have to touch me! WHY? _

"What makes you think I would know Robin's secret?"

Again with the villainous laughter. Picking up a different knife he slowly pressed the knife to her arm and slid it down her pale skin, leaving a crimson trail behind. "Because you, sweet Raven, are...very capable of extracting... secrets."

His metallic sounding voice that whispered ever so slightly in her ear, and the warm breath that caressed her neck, caused shivers to race down her spine.

_Shivers of pleasure. _

There were no words to describe the shame she felt. Why did her body have to betray her like this? Raven bit down savagely on her lip and stared at the floor intensely, praying that Slade did not notice..._he couldn't notice. It would be too...humiliating._

So deep in thought was Raven that she didn't see the knife till it plunged into her shoulder. Raven opened her mouth and screamed.

**oOoOo**

Slade sat at his desk, an angry scowl on his handsome, tanned face and his hands tangling themselves into white-blonde hair. He was running out of time... and his plan had barely kicked off. This was going to delay him by a few days. The torture was supposed to work...the goal was to extract the boy's secret and send the girl to her friends. There would be no use in keeping her locked up afterwards.

He would have to alter his plan.

Slade narrowed his eyes and stared at the blank piece of paper in front of him, calculating his next move. Looks like torture wasn't going to work on the sorceress. Usually when he threatened captives with his vast amount of...weaponry, he would get his answers. It was only the foolish who kept silent. But even they opened up eventually.

Not Raven.

For hours the two sat, locked in a deadly stale-mate. He could tell she was in excruciating pain...it was written all over her face, and in the way she cringed as his hands wavered over the vast array of objects. But still she would not cave, and any information she had remained locked in her mind.

Slade knew she had the answers...there was no way that Robin would tell his secret to any of his other teammates. But Raven, they both knew, could keep secrets. And even if he didn't say anything, she still knew.

The villain picked up a glass cup, sitting forlornly on his table, it's shine and luster being the only bright thing in the room. The villain crushed the cup in his hands, staring in morbid fascination as blood spilled from his hands onto the pure white paper.

Crimson stained the once innocent sheet of paper, and Slade finally found his answer. It seemed that the only course of action was to extract her fear... he needed to find her weakness...and exploit it.

It was the only way.

Slade sighed. He hated having to do all the dirty work.

* * *

**Just to clear up stuff... the priest from Raven's memory didn't actually rape her. It was more of molest...**

**This is my picture of what Slade looks like. He has spiky white-blond hair(natural) and dusky blueberry eyes(kind of midnight blue but almost black).**

**I would draw it for you...but I haven't completely figured out the coloring program on my computer, n****or am I good at drawing men. There are just too many muscles to define... lol**

**Would you like a facial pic? Cause that can be accomplished?**

**~heartless16 **


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: look at chapter 1**

**Sorry it took so long to upload this, I had a hard time figuring out how to revamp this chapter. As you can see...this story is taking an entirely different angle. **

** The plot has changed entirely. It was completely unexpected...the total plot change but I think that it's welcoming as well. I can fully explore the dark secrets of Robin and Slade.  
PLEASE REVIEW! I need some feedback on what would make this story really awesome. Since I am starting over...your suggestions are always welcome! :)  
**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

The persistent foot prodding against Raven's sore back finally awakened her from an endless nightmare. Wincing at the throbbing pain, Raven opened her eyes, squinted into the dimly lit room, and came across a pair of dull apprehensive gray eyes.

Confused, Raven shrunk further into the darkness, and attempted to make sense of her surroundings. This person standing before her...was not Slade. For one thing, the villain would have never gently shook her awake...at least not in theory.

And second...Slade had blue eyes...not clear and bright like Speedy, but stormy and dusky. Staring into his eye reminded her of midnight. The kind of midnight that wasn't black, but strange and eerily blue.

So who was this person? Perhaps Slade had grown tired of her silence and hired someone who was a pro at torturing.

This idea sounded absurd in Raven's mind...after all he was doing a pretty good job currently. Her only concern was how long could she keep silent before he snapped. But he couldn't kill her...and if he did, then Robin would win.

And Raven knew that Slade would never allow that to happen.

The man came closer and Raven noticed the nervousness in his posture. _Okay then, not a professional 'interrogator'. I guess he's just an ordinary guard._

The guard swallowed and answered. "You have to come with me."

"Where am I going?"

"I am not at liberty to tell you miss." Raven blinked, still staring at him, trying to quell the growing fear in her mind. W_hy am I afraid? _The guard took her hands and proceeded to hand cuff her. "Sir, may I have my cloak?"

He stared at her with what seemed like sympathy then sighed and grabbed the cloak and put it on her shoulders. Raven smiled and uttered a thank you. The guard shuffled nervously and ushered Raven to the door.

They had not gone but a few steps before her head exploded in pain. She crumpled to the floor, the sickening thud suddenly making the guard very nauseous. He fought back the wave of guilt and bile.  
"Sorry, Miss. Just...following orders."

He stared down at the bloodied crowbar, suddenly beginning to question his decision of working for Slade. Surely there were other jobs at the time?

Sighing, He picked up the young woman, noticing for the first time how much she resembled his daughter Tonya.

This revelation only added to his growing guilt.

* * *

She was hanging, arms pulled taut by lengths of chains suspended from the darkened ceiling. The cuffs were cold and biting, as they dug into her already injured wrists. It didn't help much that her hands were numb with pain either.

He had ripped her finger nails off, probably reveling in her anguished screams. She wondered what other torture Slade had devised...not that it would do any good. Her mind floated to the ceiling... how high was it? In the dim lighting, it looked almost invisible, but maybe if she swung high enough, she could pull down the chains.

Her plan was exceptional...except for the fact that her feet were chained down as well.

Raven cursed. Why did Slade always have to be one step ahead? Why can't he be the one taken by surprise? And that guard...did he have to knock me out? Sure I wouldn't want to attend a torturing session, but it's not like I would try and escape? _(OK, I would escape...but so would you!)_

What she didn't understand was why he had to remove her leotard. Raven shivered at the thought...grateful he had left her cloak and undergarments. No wonder it was so cold...

The sound of clanging metal filled the air and Raven whipped her head to the door. It was open...but no one was there. _Great, more mind games. _

Does he think he can really mess with my mind? My mind which has harbored demons and other unspeakable horrors for generations? Why does he keep trying?

True, Raven didn't have her powers, but she still had an uncanny sense of perception, precise hearing and a heightened sense of smell.  
So, Raven didn't need her eyesight. Because everyone knows that you can disguise your footsteps, but you cannot hide your scent. And as odd as it seems, Raven could smell him.

So when she felt his hot breath ghosting down her neck, Raven was not surprised in the least. (At least, not by his presence.) The young teenager was startled by his smell. Because his scent was supposed to be leathery and earthy.

But now...up close? Raven could only describe it as musky, like that Ralph Lauren stuff that Robin puts on whenever we were invited to those stuffy, rich- people parties. She loved that Ralph Lauren smell...it always seemed so friendly and inviting.

Not anymore...this time it was menacing, threatening and embarrassingly... seductive.

"Slade, I've told you. I don't know Robin's name. Let me go." Was her voice shaky? Maybe, but at least she didn't beg. Begging was humiliating and degrading. Raven would rather die than beg at the feet of Robin's worst enemy.

He laughed softly, the sound of it echoing in her mind...he was mocking her. With one hand he pulled her cloak of, chuckling even more at the startled gasp that escaped the teenager's lips.

Slade looked at her intently, his dusky blue eye seeming more and more frightening as the endless moments went by. Raven pushed her unreasonable fear to the back of her mind when she saw what he was standing beside.

A furnace of hot coals. _Damn you Slade._

His hand hovered over the metal rod, causing her to cringe in anticipation. "Raven. I have been quite patient with you. I have treated you with unrequited mercy and grace. That will end. I give you one last chance to tell me everything I need to know...and you shall leave this place alive. If not..."

Raven sensed the devious smile, and she closed her eyes tightly. She will not give in. She will not be swayed. Raven bit her lip and stared at the wall...it seemed so far away. Raven wished for her powers... Then at least she wouldn't feel so much pain.

Because truthfully...how much longer was she going to be silent? How much longer could she keep up this charade? How much longer could Raven hold back all this pain...how much longer before she found herself begging at his feet for mercy.

Mercy she knew he did not have.

The young titan closed her eyes and tried not to scream...when the heated, iron rod touched her pale, gray skin; the searing hot rod digging deeper into her flesh... until she saw what he had done.

Tattooed on her left breast was that horrid letter, S. S for suffering. S for shame... S for Slade.

_S for scarlet._

Only then did Raven cry.

* * *

"Sir, do you think maybe you've gone too far?" A questioning voice, broke his thoughts.

He hated questions, for they made him question himself. How was he to be sure of what to do, if everyone went around questioning him?  
Why could they not question themselves as to why they were questioning him? Maybe if everyone kept their questions to themselves, there would be no need for questioning.

Perhaps then he could live in peace.

Slade shook his head. None of that even made sense. "Perhaps. But it must be done. The information she had is vital to my mission. And if this mission fails...so does all of mankind."

The voice snorted. "You, sympathetic? I only came back because you said it was important But if this is another ploy for world domination...I will not stand for it."

Slade chuckled. "Calm yourself Wintergreen. World domination does not compare to this mission. This time, I do it not for myself...but for the world."

"Such cryptic words. However, you are aware that she will not cave anytime soon. This child has an incredible mind...something that will not be broken by pain alone."

Slade sighed angrily. "I am aware. She does not fear me." S_he only fears what I can do. _His eye widened slightly... was he really thinking of this? Was he really going to go that far?

No, he mustn't...such things would cross the line. But he had crossed that line years ago...what difference would it make now?

The man called Wintergreen stared at his boss, a worried frown etched onto his wizened old face. He knew Slade very well. So well in fact that it sometimes seemed their minds were connected, held together by a bond years of friendship and experience had formed.

So he knew...Wintergreen knew what he was thinking. And that was too far.

"Slade, Please tell me that you are not considering...that."

The man sighed. "I don't know what to consider. Would you rather see the girl die?" Why was he even asking the old man? It wasn't like he cared about his opinion. (Okay, small understatement.) Slade did care...which is why he was reluctant to kill her in the first place.

Wintergreen shuffled his feet, something that Slade found very unlike him. "No, she does not deserve death...neither does she deserve what you are planning."

Of course she doesn't... no one did. But how else was he to stop the impending future?

How was he to stop what he knew would happen again?

It had to be none...there were no short cuts or alternatives. "Wintergreen, my hands are tied."

After a short pause Wintergreen spoke. "As you wish. Just know...once you cross this line, there is no turning back. Not even you can undo the past...no matter how much you want."

His light footsteps receded and Slade was left alone in the darkness once more. He sighed, running his hands through his white-blond hair.

He hated doing all the dirty work.

* * *

She did not sense his presence till he tightly grasped her wrists and yanked her into the light. His cold, dark blue eye bored into her, and she shank from his intense gaze.

Harshly, the man pushed her, and she fell to the ground, gazing up at him with bright confused eyes. What was wrong with him...why was he so angry?

Again he reached down, grasping the girl by her dark cloak and pinning her roughly against the cold concrete wall. She cringed when the man trailed his gloved hand down her neck, stopping to admire the scar he placed on her breast.

"Poor child. I never meant for any of this to happen you know...but" He glanced into her eyes, somehow filling her with dread. "Plans change."

"What do you mean, plans change?" What do you really want with me?" The teenager questioned, not really wanting to hear his answer. She didn't like the way he sounded, nor did she appreciate the hand that slowly caressed her waist.  
Never did Raven wish so fervently for her leotard than now...

She didn't expect to feel his warm lips graze her bruised, neck, or the small whimper to escape her lips. What was this feeling, this tingling inside her head... Why was he doing this? Why was he making her feel this way?

"Slade, please, let me go. I have told you...several times. I-don't know Robin's name."

At this the villain knocked her to the ground. "Raven, you cannot fool me. However, I admire your courage...such resolve is rare in people these days. With such powers as yours...there's no telling what we can accomplish."

Raven bolted, looking frantically for a door, any exit...just as long as Slade wasn't there.

She knew... what he wanted to do...it was written clearly in his eyes...no way in hell was she going to give him the chance. Seeing a vent shaft on the wall, Raven quickly kicked off the sliding door and crawled in...trying to escape his chilling laughter... and the feel of his soft warm lips against her neck.

* * *

It felt like she was crawling for hours...the air became stuffy and warm and the walls were slowly closing in. Claustrophobia...who knew? It was odd to her...since when do demons have phobias? Maybe it was her human half...or just a reaction to...no, don't think about such things.

Just escape first. Then ponder later.

Upon reaching an intersection, Raven decided to turn right...maybe right would lead to a different level. One that has an elevator perhaps.

She wondered whan was taking Robin so long. Shouldn't he have found her by now? _Then again...what if I'm not even in Jump City anymore? Hell I could be anywhere! _The teenager kicked down another vent door and climbed out, quickly shrinking into the shadows. This place was different.

Gone was the cold concrete floor and in it's place was old worn carpeting... somewhere in the dimly lit room she could make out a window. No light streamed out of it however, something that made Raven suspicious. Was it dark outside? Or was this place shut in.

How could a human live in such a dark, place? What was Slade? A vampire? Maybe a demon? No, if Slade were a demon...he wouldn't dare treat her like this...because she was high ranking. Such treatment would only result in death.

So vampire then, they are more hostile toward demons... And it does explain the uncanny stealth, speed, well built physique...and strange affinity for dark places._ Oh Gosh! If my hunch is right...Robin can never find out. Because then he would only obsess over gaining the same strength and..._

Raven cleared her random thoughts, suddenly feeling very silly about her rambling notions. She resolved to just stay away from the windows. Still keeping to the shadows, Raven found the door and quietly slid out, finding herself in a huge parlor.

Again the lights were off and Raven could only make our silhouettes of the objects in the massive room. She saw what looked like a sofa, a huge bookcase, a chandelier hanging from the walls and a fireplace.

Eyes widening in delight, Raven rushed to the fireplace and looked up... It was a long way...better start now. Stifling several sneezes. Raven slowly began to climb the fireplace, again feeling clammy and uneasy in the small space.

_Would she ever reach the top_?

At last! A slight chilly breeze began to waft in from the opening at the top of the chimney and Raven quickly pulled herself to the top, gaping in surprise at the stark change in landscape. The building was surrounded by a forest of palm trees that stretched on for ages..._Was this place an inn?_

Scrambling out from the chimney, Raven looked down and gulped in apprehension. That drop had to be at least three stories high. Perhaps she could scale down the wall? Yes, that was the best option. Better for her to fall and die than for Slade to get his hands on whatever he wanted.

Too bad she didn't anticipate the Slade bots... lying in wait at the same roof she began her descent.

* * *

The furious tapping of the keyboard echoed in the dark room, punctuated only by the frantic knocking at the door.  
The Boy Wonder was busy.

He was on a mission...and this time it was personal. There was a reason he went straight to the edge of town. Because that was the place, where Slade first threatened him, and forced him to do his bidding.

It was also the place where Robin lost himself...lost who he was and what he stood for. Many times he tried to force the memories away, after all... everything he did was to save his friends. All his actions were justified...except that... they weren't. There was no excuse for the horrible things he committed in Slade's name...neither was there any excuse for the people he harmed.

So when Robin found the small computer chip seemingly forgotten in the dusty corner, he knew what had to be done.

He knew where Slade was...and what he needed to do. Robin stood up from the computer and crossed the dingy room, somehow being able to avoid the clutter in the inhuman darkness.

Suddenly, his heart began to pound, vision blurred and he sank to his knees. His breathing was fast, irregular..._what was wrong? _He felt like he was running, fleeing as if his life depended on it...his whole body ached and an unbearable pain burned his chest.

Robin looked up... the room had changed. He was in a dark empty hallway, and fear gripped his heart. _Why was he afraid? _Voices echoed in his mind, screaming for help...was it Raven?

_Raven, where are you?_

Again the voices screamed and Robin curled up in anguish. The hallway was gone and Robin found himself facing an endless sea of trees...palm trees. He knew where that was...there was only one place in California that was known for it's trees.

_Raven, talk to me! Are you ok? Raven!_ He was met with an ear-splitting headache. His head was on fire, his eyes burned and his cheek ached...then his eyes opened. And he looked up into concerned green eyes.

Beastboy.

"Dude are you ok? You've been screaming bloody murder for like thirty minutes."

Robin sat up, cringing at the light. Who turned the light on? And- his hand touched his lip, coming away wet and sticky. Blood? Scrambling to his feet, Robin bit back a groan, his chest still smarting from the other-worldly encounter... it felt like a really bad burn.

"Dude, talk to me. Do I need to get Cyborg?"

"I'm fine." It came out gruff and impatient...which was not what he intended. Rubbing his aching head Robin spoke again. "Thanks for asking BB. We need to go. I figured out where Raven is."

"Really? How?"

The Boy Wonder looked up from the small crate he had been digging through. "The bond."

"Oh, well c'mon we don't have time to waste."

"Yea, coming. Hey, Beastboy. Could you turn off the lights? They're kinda bright."

The shape shifter gave the masked teen a strange look then left, muttering about dark spaces and Slade. There was no denying it. Robin was one strange dude.

Robin saw the look but paid no attention. He wouldn't understand... none of them would. Hell, he didn't understand himself at times. But Robin found the darkness to be strangely calming.  
It seemed to call to him, beckon and haunt his every move. And Robin had no peace till he was there, wrapped in the arms of the mysterious blackness. But now was not the time to think of such things...because Robin was on a mission.

He knew what needed to be done. Before he left the room, he slipped something into his utility belt, obscuring it from the world.

A pistol.

In his mind echoed the only words Raven had spoken. _"Forgive me, Robin..."  
_

* * *

She was chained to the floor, and it seemed that fear had been loosed from her mind as well. Fear made it hard to concentrate, because it was too busy jumping at the slightest sounds and filling her stomach with dread.  
Yes, Raven knew what Slade wanted to do...she just didn't understand why. Why now? Why not when he first captured her? What was so important about the information she withheld?

The fear in her flinched when the villain's footsteps came to a stop in front of her...she felt her resolve crumbling, the determination and courage, slipping back into obscurity. Raven was now the timid vulnerable girl she so hated.

Raven was now helpless. And she could not break free.

"I must admit Raven, I am impressed. Despite you lack of powers you still managed to find your way to the outside." He knelt down and whispered in her ear, his lilting voice and warm breath seemingly mocking her. "Too bad it was only a trap."

"Look, Slade, I'll tell you whatever you want. Just...don't hurt me. Please."

_Begging... _Raven wished she was dead, wished she had just jumped off the building, rather that to be reduced to nothing, at her enemy's feet. Her dignity was already gone...nothing else mattered.

Slade laughed. "Such arrogance. You my dear are in no position to be striking deals. However, on the condition that you tell me everything you know, I will promise... not to hurt you."

Raven stared at him and was mortified by the strange look in his eye. She expected amusement, anger, lust even..but not this. Not a look of...sorrow? Or was it regret? _Why did Slade look so...disturbed? Why did he look so human?_

Against her better judgement, she told him everything...but Slade still broke his promise.

As she lay there in the cold dark room the villain's heartfelt apology rang in her ears. _"Please forgive me..."__  
_  
What hurt her most was the fact that Slade meant every word.

* * *

**I plan on making Robin as dark and as sinister as possible.**

**As for Slade...he might be more human? Or maybe just disturbed. I haven't decided.**

**What do you think about Raven's theory on Slade. Should she be right? If so, how?**

**I ask because Slade has a pretty standard background. He's not like Red X whose past can be twisted however you like. So I want feedback from you. Should he be standard...or should I mix it up?**

**Anyway, Review !**

**~heartless16**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 5  
Disclaimer: Look at chapter 1

Starfire's heart felt heavy. Something was wrong...this was not the regular reconnaissance mission. This time it was more serious. Something was definitely wrong...she could just sense it.

Also, Robin seemed unusually tense. It was true that he was usually tense and serious anytime Slade came into the picture. But this time...it seemed like he had a secret agenda. Like there was something he wasn't telling us.

He was angry, that much was apparent but it also seemed like something else...like there was a darkness in him that he tried to hide. Starfire found this strange. Because Robin was not a person of the dark...he stood for light, for justice and for all that was good.

How could there be evil in his heart?

Shrugging the feeling off she concentrated on the task before her. Find Raven. That was all that mattered. The Tamaranian found it rather odd that Slade was not in Jump. What was he doing in Baja California? Was he on vacation?

Besides, if this 'Baja California' place was supposed to be one filled with sunshine and happiness, why was this mansion so...cold and dark and eerie? She came to the conclusion that Slade was a master of the dark arts. Maybe even a wizard. Because who else can turn such a happy place into one of sorrow and gloom?

Starfire stifled a laugh. Slade, a wizard, yes perhaps he even had a magic staff, blue and gold cloak... and a ginormous caldron to boot! _Oh X'Hal, forgive me for watching too many Disney movies. Especially since they distract me from my mission._

Choking back some more laughter, Starfire concentrated once more on the section of the mansion she was given. It was rather dull and empty, with large unoccupied rooms, eerie long hallways and thick layers of dust. How old was this place? And why were there so many empty rooms? This building could have been converted into what the Earth people called 'retirement homes'.

These retirement homes often startled and disgusted the alien. She simply couldn't understand why someone would want to send their loved ones away...especially when they were old. On Tameran, the elderly were respected and revered ; their advice was sought after and cherished. After all, who could compete with the wisdom of the ages?

Yet on earth...or at least in America, things were the opposite. The elderly were not treated with dignity and respect. They were seen as a burden...but why would one consider their own parents to be a burden? Isn't it everyone's wish to be with their loved ones till death? Does this not apply to the elderly as well?

The T-Comm that rested on her wrist crackled. "Star, anything on your end?"

Her mind refocused on the task at hand. There was no need pondering things that she had no control over, lest she incur Robin's wrath. He had warned her to be careful and not get carried away. That was much easier in theory. "No, but this place is quite interesting. There are so many bookshelves! And the chandelier...Robin who knew Slade was a rich wizard?"

She heard Beastboy dissolve into laughter, and Robin huffing indignantly. "Seriously guys, we're on a mission here."

"Yo Rob, cool down, she's just trying to lighten the mood." Typical Cyborg. He was the only one able to put Robin in his place. Without Cyborg...the team probably would have broken up long ago, victims of Robin's obsessive nature.

Robin sighed. "I know. But we seriously need to conc-"

Starfire's voice cut in, full of surprise and apprehension. "Robin, I have found a broken air vent...shall I see where it goes?"

The Boy Wonder pondered the question. It was possible that Raven escaped through the vent...maybe that was the cause of the weird vision. She may have made it outside!"Yes but Star, be careful." Who knew if Slade left the vent like that on purpose? It could be another trap.

The alien pushed some hair from her face. "Do not worry Robin...I will be safe. One last thing, do I go right or left?"

Robin stopped for a second. Right or left...which way could have Raven taken? His eyes fluttered closed as he recalled that experience. Those flashes of light...what were they? Could it have been a sign? No, that wasn't it. Green gloved hands raked through ebony tresses.

Perhaps the smell? That strange scent of...motor oil? Robin concentrated once again, letting his mind drift... It wasn't motor oil. It was the smell of burning coal! Yes, he was sure of it now. "Starfire, what do you smell?"

Cyborg groaned. "Robin, why can't you ever let us in on the evidence?"

The red haired titan complied. "I smell leather...from the bookshelves. And I smell...burning."

"Which way?"

"Left."

Starfire bit her lip as she followed Robin's lead. Crawling through air vents was not something she would have imagined doing. Sneaking around in air vents only happened in spy movies. Then again...weren't the titans on stealth mode right now?

Robin didn't really give the "Titans Go!" command which could mean he wanted to be covert. Or he simply forgot. Robin had a lot of other things on his mind...first being to find Raven. Starfire sneezed.

How long was this stupid vent!

She'd been crawling for what seemed like hours. Maybe I'm lost...no, how can I be lost when there is only one way? She chided herself for being silly and for admittedly feeling frightened. She prayed that Raven would be unharmed...this place had an uncanny feeling. As if people were watching them.

At last! Climbing out from the air vent, Starfire peered into the darkened room, star bolt creating a small pocket of light.

Tentatively, she stepped forward. Then she heard it... a terrified scream. The girl turned and bolted, hoping it was not Raven that screamed... "Please X'hal don't let it be Raven...She must be unharmed."

The corridor was long and empty, with walls and ceilings that stretched for miles. How far underground was she? This was worse than those stupid bat caves that she always saw on National Geographic. Except without stalactites...or stalagmites. And these caves usually only had light coming in from the entrance...not the exit. |

Picking up the pace, Starfire continued her excessive sprint down the hollow corridors. Raven was probably at the end of the hallway...it was the only explanation. Starfire's blood pounded in her ears and her chest heaved with labored breaths. After an eternity...Starfire entered the light...only to be plunged back into darkness once more.

Static crackled loudly through the dim hallways. "Robin. I have found Raven."

* * *

Dim lights, cold concrete floors...no windows in sight. How far below ground was this place? It wasn't really worth pondering...not anymore. The mission was over, they had found what they were looking for. Too bad she wasn't all in one piece.

It was all so grotesque, the heavy black chains, the pale gray helpless body and the blood...it was everywhere. Why did it look like roses? Dark red rose petals stained in blood. Somehow, they completed the scene before the titan.

The young teen's violet hair obscured her face, in a ragged and yet, strangely ordered fashion. Everything seemed so picturesque...as if it belonged in a story book, or framed painting. How could evil look so...perfect?

Raven was perfect...at least in the eyes of the Tameranian. Her alabaster white skin and dainty rosebud lips often haunted the alien's dreams. Raven was like a princess...a princess who somehow seemed the only one capable of filling center stage.

Her slender, unblemished body covered in blood, the ugly red scar on her small, adolescent chest, the horrible scars that tattooed and wove their way across her gentle sloping back. How could evil look so beautiful? How could Slade create such a masterpiece? How could he have known that Raven was ...simply perfect for the role. The epitome of violence and abuse.

Raven was unbreakable, she was strong, unwavering and firm, often the only voice of sanity in the close-knit group. This was not Raven...this beaten, broken body cowering from the light. The Raven in Slade's masterpiece was not the girl she knew. Where was the real Raven, what had Slade done to her?

Starfire tentatively reached and pulled the girl into her arms, doing her best to destroy the chains that shackled her. Chains...Slade had shackled her spirit, her soul was no longer the same anymore. It had been crushed, and tormented.

Tears dripped from Starfire's bright green eyes. She had ruined the picture, she had destroyed the beautiful evil Slade had created. The chains were freed, they no longer served their purpose of restraint. Starfire had stepped into the painting and released Raven from her unsightly role as the centerpiece. The spotlight in the gruesome show.

Now the rose petals ceased to look like flowers, and more like the dark, grotesque stains they were meant to be...blemishes that might never fade. Crimson trailed down pale white skin, weaving intricate designs...tainting a once pure white. Raven had been tainted...she was no longer herself.

Starfire stood, pulling the tattered, dark blue cloak around Raven's body as if it's mere presence would make her friend normal again. What startled her most was the fact that Raven would not cry. Starfire knew that Raven would not cry...her pride was too great.

Pride. It was one emotion that dictated Raven's every step. It was out of pride that Raven retrains her emotions, pride that prompted her to hide secrets...and now this. Was pride really necessary? There was no one judging her, no one weighing harsh criticism or complaints...so why?

Starfire cried for her, someone had to. Someone had to shed the tears that were now doubt locked in Raven's troubled mind. Footsteps echoed through the empty dark room, and the sound of voices floated in, shattering the cold menacing silence. Robin, Cyborg and Beastboy. Would they understand?

Perhaps, but the alien couldn't help but shake the feeling that...they probably couldn't understand...they would never understand. Raven would not tell, she would never speak...but rather bear it all in silence. Because that's what Raven does, suffer in silence.

Maybe that's what made her perfect...the only one to fit in Slade's horrible painting. She would never tell, never speak of whatever atrocity Slade had committed. Her silence had been calculated...it was planned. Slade must have known what he was going to do from the beginning...he must have predicted everything.

And that's why Raven was perfect, that's why she was chosen as Slade's tortured centerpiece. She was predictable...Raven's unending silence, a mind full of thoughts, feelings and emotions, but an empty room, no one there to listen; no one there to understand.

It wasn't right, someone needed to bear this with her...and Starfire just knew that it was her duty alone. X'hal had given her a new mission to help her friend, to understand, and most importantly, to show her that she's not alone.

Raven had been alone for so long...she had just finally started opening up. Then Slade crushed her spirit, broke her resolve. Would she speak? Would Raven open up? Starfire only knew that Slade was effective at everything. Maybe this was his plan after all. To dismantle the one person who was capable of destroying him.

Just like Terra.

* * *

It was tedious, trying to see in this darkened room. You squint, place one foot out, then the next.

Slow and Steady.

We didn't have time for this. Were we not in a rush? Wasn't the objective of this mission to find Raven and leave...as quickly as possible? Slade could still be in the mansion. Probably watching through his damned cameras. What if he was setting up a trap as we speak?

Another stifled sigh, another narrowing of dark green eyes. One purple and black foot in front of the other. He smelled burning coal, he could almost taste the mold and mildew, no doubt floating all over this rank basement.

The scent of blood and tears turned his stomach. There was a lot of blood...he could tell. Dark green eyes looked forward again, staring at his impassive leader, and the cybernetic second-in-command.  
Everyone was worried...only Robin didn't really show it. There was something else...something darker in Robin. One that he was obviously trying to hide.

Why had he been in the dark all that while? It was strange to him...why Robin's lights were always off. Why his room was so dark...in the middle of the day. Humans need light to survive...without light, nothing would grow or thrive.

How was Robin doing it? How was he able to live in a room that seemed to repel light? It frightened him, made him nervous and suspicious. Robin was hiding something...a dark, dirty secret. One that probably had to do with Slade.

Footsteps stopped. Robin's hand went up. A sickening tension breezed through the room. A soft whisper froze his innocent heart. "Raven."

Beastboy looked and saw blood...as well as Starfire's glittering tears.

* * *

She refused to let anyone touch Raven...even Cyborg. The alien has mumbled incoherently for several minutes, tears still pouring down her face. Something about a battle ritual...and cleansing.

Something about her mother's eyes. Starfire never talked about her mother, the cybernetic realized with concern. He had always assumed that Starfire's mother wasn't alive...she was a warrior after all, something that the Tameranian people hold in high regard. To die in battle is considered a great honor for their people.

Starfire had told him of the ceremonies, ones that were quite similar to the decorating of soldiers and the commemoration that take place on Veterans Day. They were happy days...days filled with thankfulness and sorrow.

He thought it was because of her honorable death that Starfire kept silent. Perhaps she wasn't thankful or honored by her mother's death. She was probably still mourning, Cyborg realized as he started the T-Car and headed back to the Tower.

It wasn't easy losing a mother...he would know. But what did she have to do with Raven? How could an honorable death compare to...whatever Slade had done to Raven?  
Yes, he had his suspicions...but nothing was definite. He would not jump to conclusions before investigating first. And even then, there was no guarantee that Raven would even speak, let alone give him the chance to run some tests.

A heavy sigh escaped his lips, and he stared through the rear view mirror, dark brown eyes resting on Beastboy's solemn face. He shouldn't have to go through this...nobody should. Cyborg could not bear to see such a look on Beastboy's face...that intense gaze, pursed lips and slanting eyebrows did not belong on a face as young as the shape shifter.

Did Starfire know...did she suspect as well? Was that why she refused to let me see her? It made sense in some ways. Cyborg knew that there were some things that, as a man, he would never understand. Perhaps this was one of those things. Maybe it was best to let Starfire help Raven the best she can.

But it was so hard seeing your friend in pain...and not know how to help them. Cyborg felt this way and it was overwhelming. He could tell, Raven didn't look good at all. In fact, the sorceress looked dead. She looked so pale and so...unearthly. All this, from one glimpse of her foot.

You might think that's crazy, you might call Cyborg insane. But he knows...he knows his little sister like the back of his hand. Cyborg knows how she should look, how she should act. And when someone has wronged her deeply.

Just like now.

* * *

**Wow. I think I outdid myself. **

** What do you think? I've been watching Vampire Knight...and I love the way colors are represented and played out. I also find it rather intriguing how rose petals are often used to symbolize blood...something I see alot in Uraboku(another random anime).**

**Review!**

**~heartless16**


	5. Chapter 5

**Forgive me for the lateness...**

**Disclaimer: Look in chapter 1**

**Chapter 6**

* * *

Dim lights cast mournful shadows across the walls and the soft peaceful sound of splashing water echoed through the small bathroom. Purple eyes drifted rather lazily across the small enclosure, first staring at the foggy mirror before landing on the fluffy white towel that hung neatly on the rack. A soft sigh escaped the young teenager's lips as she turned her eyes back to the water, following it's movements as it lapped and splashed up against her chin.

Water...water was life, it was sustenance, it was cleansing and purifying. Water was always used as a symbol of life, of prosperity and wealth. People worshiped water, they revered it...many gods were deities of water.

On Azarath there were many people who called themselves Christians. These people didn't worship water...but they baptized people in it. To them it was a declaration of their faith to their god.

The young teenager found it strange. The word baptism meant 'immersion' and sometimes they referred to it as 'being buried into'. These Christians said that once one was buried in their god...they became new people. All their sins were forgiven.

Purple eyes stared once more at the shadows cast across the walls, then back at the slowly swishing water. She slumped into the bathtub, watching as the warm water lapped against her nose and mouth.

To be forgiven...to become a new person. It was all she wanted.

Those purple eyes drifted shut as the young teenager slumped forward again, her dark hair floating gently in the warm water. She was immersed completely...she was buried beneath the softly moving water.

She did not get up.

**oOoOo**

Robin was not expecting the blood curling scream that roused him from a fitful sleep. Perhaps it was a good thing. Sleep never did come easy to the Titan...and more than often, he found that it was much easier to function and to accomplish his work during the night.

There was something calming and relaxing that Robin found in the darkness...it was a strange euphoria-like feeling. One that he couldn't put to words.

It was this sleeplessness and affinity to darkness that caused him to exit his room swiftly, not bothering to turn on any lights. He walked briskly through the halls, turning the corners swiftly and efficiently. He had no time to lose...Starfire and Raven were in trouble. To spend time turning on lights would be a waste of time.

Besides, it was easier to see things in the dark. Easier to avoid things like clutter on the floors and hallways. Robin didn't need light to see where he was going. He didn't need light to know where things were. Life was better living in the dark. Things were clearer.

So it was no wonder that the teen cringed when entering Raven's dimly lit room. His eyes took in the still neat bed with crisp sheets, and the pile of dirty clothes still outside the bathroom door. Perhaps Starfire was in over her head in trying to tread Raven alone...maybe Cryborg should have intervened.

Still...she was quite adamant about taking care of 'everything'. Eventually everyone decided that perhaps it was for the best, despite the fact that Cyborg would no longer be able to document any injuries. The whole examination might have made Raven uncomfortable.

But there was no time to ponder and regret these things...not with Starfire still screaming bloody murder. Robin pushed open the door to the bathroom slowly and called out to Starfire. "What's wrong?"

The alien threw herself into his arms. "Oh Robin! Raven's killed herself! Why would Raven want to kill herself!"

The Boy Wonder paled slightly at the sight. Raven's body was covered in scars... Quickly he moved into action, pushing the weeping alien aside and pulling Raven's body from the cold water. Why was the water so cold in the first place?

Gently he wrapped her in the bedspread that he had hastily pulled off the bed and after placing her delicately on the ground, began to perform CPR. Raven couldn't die...not now. Not when he still needed answers. She had to live...Raven needed to live. But how could he save her when Starfire was shrieking like a banshee!

"Starfire, Shut up, PLEASE!" A tense silence blanketed the room and from his side, Robin sensed the heavy footsteps of Cyborg and Beastboy. He also noticed that the lights in the hallway were on.

Raven sputtered and choked. Robin breathed a sigh of relief...she was alive, she could tell him everything. Raven can-

Raven jerked suddenly, shoving the Boy Wonder away. He watched through his masked eyes as Raven sat up, drawing the blanket tightly against her body while shivering violently. The titan's skin was pale and blue-ish...he could hear her teeth as they vigorously clacked together. There was fear in her eyes...raw unbridled fear.

"Rae..." He reached out tentatively, his fingers reaching to grasp her shoulder. "Rae, why'd you do it?" The minute he touched her shoulder, she began to scream. Robin finally noticed the raw, red stab wound that marred her shoulder. It needed to be treated...before an infection could set in. But would she let Cyborg do it? She was afraid of everything...everything but Starfire. And Starfire hadn't completed her first-aid training.

Robin said nothing as Starfire rushed to her friend, trying to console and calm the frightened girl. He continued to stare with disbelief as Raven continued to scream, and he desperately tried to hide the pain that echoed through their bond. The bond between them...he hadn't felt any emotions through their link for a long time. Robin had forgotten that it had even existed. At first he believed that it had faded away with time, that maybe Raven didn't want to feel his emotions anymore.

Why could he feel her pain now? Why was the bond between them open and active again? What had Slade done that made Raven lose control of her mind? Why wouldn't Raven say anything?

"Robin, it would be best if everyone left us alone. Raven does not need the attention." The alien's eyes were cold and unfeeling, and her voice was oddly formal.

The Boy Wonder met Starfire's cold eyes for what seemed like a long moment. Something was wrong...Starfire wasn't herself. She was never this cold and cryptic. This was not Starfire at all. Robin couldn't really put a finger on it...nor did he want to make any wild assumptions. But he knew how they acted...and to him it seemed like they had switched places.

* * *

Quiet, except for the sound of whirring mechanisms. The gears turned methodically, each doing it's part to successfully turn the giant hands of the clock. Every so often a gentle tick, tock echoed in the room. It would soon be midnight...soon the bells will chime, and yet another day would end.

Time passes by...the gears continue to turn, they continue to move the hands of time. The clock continues ticking...oblivious to the sins and regrets of the people. The clock does not discriminate, it does not make any exceptions. It continues to move and pass the time, leaving only memories in it's wake. The clock only lives in the present...so why couldn't he?

He was Deathstroke the Terminator...he was feared and revered among criminal and hero alike. Time should not matter to someone like him, a person who had lived for centuries. He fought during World War One, saw the devastation and destruction that was wrought upon the lands...he remembered his involvement in the second World War...as well as the tearing down of the Berlin wall.

Slade had participated in almost every war that occurred on this earth, he had seen, done and endured many things, horrible things that a human shouldn't have to have gone through. But perhaps that didn't matter. He wasn't human...he was a monster. He was only capable of doing monstrous inhumane acts.

Yet, he couldn't defy time. The mystery of time had eluded him...he could not figure out its secret. As long as he had walked upon this earth, the secret of time continued to slip through his fingers.

A tired laugh escaped Slade's mouth. These feelings shouldn't be affecting him. He was a monster, a demon... he wasn't supposed to have feelings. So why was he feeling this way? Why did he feel horrible and...guilty? He had merely completed a mission, an item on his list that was crucial to the succession of his mission.

The man paced the floor of the darkened room, his steel toed boots clinking heavily against the concrete floor. His hands clasped tightly behind his back...he couldn't stop them from trembling. He couldn't block out her voice...her pleading, frightened voice. Her pain-filled shrieks often haunted his already fitful slumber. What had he done?

The sound of chimes filled the room and with a heavy heart Slade leaned against the wall, his dusky blue eyes filled with emotion. Slowly he lifted his trembling hands to his face. These hands...he had committed evil with these hands. He was a skilled murderer, spy and torturer. And nothing he did had affected him, at least until now.

Every time he looked at these hands, he saw her struggling fitfully against his iron grasp. Those purple eyes that had gazed at him with fear and terror. Innocent, child-like eyes. She didn't deserve it...no one did. But it had to be done, such an atrocity had to have been committed. It was the only way. There was no other option.

He said all these things, to console his confused mind. At if they could justify such a monstrous act. His fist crashed into the wall.

Slade screamed in anger. Why! Why couldn't he stop shaking! Why couldn't he forget! The man fell to his knees, for the first time feeling the sting of defeat. Never in his life had he felt the pangs of guilt. He didn't know how to deal with such an emotion. Slade was powerless against a flimsy emotion.

Yet all he could think of was turning back the clock. If he could only turn back the hands of time...all this could have been avoided. He would have avoided finding the judgmental prophesy and being forced to stop it from happening. He would have avoided...committing such an offensive act.

But he couldn't step back into the past...He couldn't undo his actions, as Wintergreen predicted. The mystery of time had eluded him before...and now it stares him mockingly in the face.  
Why was time so elusive? Why couldn't he just undo it all?

* * *

Beastboy had been standing at the door for the past fifteen minutes...and Raven had not moved. She was still and silent as she sat on the sofa, staring at the blank TV screen. Or perhaps it was the open window. He really couldn't tell.

How long had it been before Starfire finally quieted the sorceress and gotten her to rest? It seemed that everyone had been up that entire night. Cyborg was relentless, not leaving his post outside Raven's room till Starfire reported that she was asleep. Eventually they decided that Starfire should stay in the room with her...lest Raven try another suicide attempt.

Why did Raven want to kill herself? What was she thinking? What had Slade done, to put such thoughts in Raven's head? The shape-shifter remembered Robin's strained look when commanded them to leave. This whole ordeal must be stressful...especially for Robin. He could tell that the leader was berating himself for not finding her fast enough...for not saving her and for not being there.

Beastboy also remembered Starfire's cold cryptic eyes and blank unfriendly expression as she watched them leave. He remembered feeling the cold glare as it bored into his back. It frightened him as well. Starfire was a good actor but no one could replicate Raven's glare. Beastboy couldn't help but feel that the two had switched minds...he refused to voice this out loud.

With a determined look on his pale green face, Beastboy marched forward and sat down next to Raven, noting with a twinge of sorrow as she flinched slightly. "Raven...you hungry? I'll fix you anything you want? It'll be tofu free?"

Silence greeted him. Perhaps hunger was the last thing on her mind. Still, his mother taught him that food was the best rememdy for an occupied mind. When one is feeling stressed and has a lot on their mind...the best way to unwind was with a plate of food. Your body gets the nourishment, and your mind gets a break.

Perhaps Raven didn't work that way. She wasn't completely human after all...she could go for days without really eating anything. It was something that Cyborg and Beastboy couldn't fathom accomplishing.

The shapeshifter transformed into a cat and crawled tentatively into her lap, staring at the sorceress with huge glittering eyes. She was crying! Was she in any pain? What was he supposed to do?

A soft meow escaped the green cat's lips as he gently crawled to her face and began to nuzzle her gently, his green fur soaking up the salty tears. It was frightening, seeing Raven cry. Her emotions were always composed...she never lost control. The last time she cried was because her father was going to destroy the earth. This time it could have been something equally as bad.

What could Slade have done? Questions whirled in Beastboy's mind as he stared into his friend's pained violet eyes. He turned away as Raven wrapped her arms around him tightly, her muffled sobs only filling his heart with pain.

He buried his face in her chest. He didn't want anyone to see the green cat cry.

The sound of heavy footsteps drew closer to the room, and looking up, Beastboy stared into Cyborg's brown eye. "BB, we're going to borrow Raven for a while." At these words the cybernetic help up a syringe, no doubt filled with some kind of sedative. "You can stay if you want...I think Raven may feel better if you were around."

The green cat said nothing, turning to bury it's head in her chest once more. Let them do what they want. It didn't really matter to him. As long as no one could see him cry...then everything was good.

* * *

**This chapter is pretty much a What Did Slade Do fest. I felt some parts were weird and decided to leave them out. I don't usually have pre-written stories...all ideas are in my head. Whichever ones read the best...I use.**

**If Slade was born before World War One...how old would be be? I'm not going to give any exact dates cause I'll forget them.**  
**I'm six chapters in and I still haven't used that word... you think next chapter would be a good place to use it?**

**Please Review!**

**~heartless16**


	6. Chapter 6

**I know this is rather late...but my classes have been getting harder. So I have to study more. ****As for the extremely long dream sequence in the beginning...I didn't want to make it so long but since it all happened in the past...it was vital to the plot. So bear with me.**

**Chapter 7**

**Disclaimer: It should be painfully obvious by now**

* * *

_Candles flickered gently, casting solemn shadows against the walls while the priest chanted the ancient mantra in an expressionless, dull voice. _

_Inhale. "Um...Do...Beik... Se... Gu...Yong...Ha." Exhale. _

_Inhale. "Um...Do...Beik...Se...Gu...Yong...Ha." Exhale. _

_An eerie wind blew through the windowless basement. The candles flickered, giving one last sign of protest. Then they sputtered out. __A pair of dusky blue eyes opened, and stared unfazed into the darkness. He sat perfectly in the complicated lotus position, body still and un-moving, and his breathing slow and peaceful._

_In this man' arms rested several trinkets, many of them worn and ancient. The metal had long since lost it's shine and luster and in several, pieces were missing. One could compare these trinkets to the vast treasures that resided with the mummified pharaohs of Egypt._

_Many of these ancient artifacts resting in his hands contained writing of the strangest sort. Careful analysis of these artifacts had all reached a conclusion that the writing was not of this earth. One might attribute this discovery to the presence of aliens on earth, but the man holding them knew better._

_This language and writing belonged to a small sect of people, who were often shunned for their strange practices. It is believed that they left this earth...searching for peace. All they left behind were these strange illegible artifacts. No one realized that these artifacts held a history... an account that had been shrouded in mystery...and painted in blood. __Only a few knew of it's existence and their involvement in the bloody wars that took place across the world. _

_If historians were to painstakingly decipher the ancient writings on these amulets, they would find that everything they knew and were taught had simply been mere fabrications...a watering down to what truly took place on this earth. __But this revelation would forever remain a secret, due to their uncanny disappearance from the face of the earth and their forgotten, illegible artifacts...now worshiped and revered by the ignorant humans._

_Nonetheless, those dusky blue eyes stared impassively ahead, watching as the priest in front of him opened his freakish red eyes. His lips wore a crooked and nasty grin, and his eyes seemed to glitter with a feverish light.  
_  
_This man was annoying and arrogant. In some ways, Slade was like him too. However there was a difference between being eccentric and insane. This priest was insane. __Wilson slowly stood to his feet, eyeing the priest warily as he did the same. _

_He did not trust this man...this strange and depraved old priest. But however much he hated the man...until the ceremony was complete, Slade had to live with it. He needed to cooperate until the opportune time._

_The cunning and depraved priest raised his hands slowly, and Slade watched as the room flooded to light. The assassin eyed the room slowly, taking in the old paintings on the walls, the crumbling statues and ancient alter table._

_It was on these walls that a second prophecy was recorded...one that would spread doom for the entire world. __It spoke of a child that will be conceived within these very walls...one that when born would have the power to destroy the world. _

_That child conceived by Satan's only daughter….and whose father would be the head priest of that ancient hidden sect, The Church of Blood. The aforementioned head priest, this depraved disgusting man before him, was the man spoken about in the prophesy. The man who calls himself Brother Blood._

_But Slade had other plans for this world...he couldn't let it be destroyed by the whims of some gifted prophesied brat. He had lived on this earth for hundreds of years...this world was his to toy with and to manipulate. Hi__s to decide on it's outcome. And this eventual outcome, weather it be good or bad..didn't involve the whims and antics of the gods. The gods had cursed him with immortality...in retaliation, he would foil their plans._

_Dusky blue eyes took on a calculating light as he held out his hand...as if affirming their newly found partnership. Brother Blood was a fool. He was a fool to ever think that this prophesy would actually come to pass. He was a fool to ever believe that Raven would somehow fall into has hands._

_His biggest blunder was believing that Deathstroke the Terminator would ever agree to being partners. Slade partnered with no one. A slender, brightly polished knife was slowly drawn, it glittered in the air briefly, and then landed on the floor...stained with blood. The old priest's lifeless body crumpled to the floor, a crooked grin still on his wizened, aged face._

**oOoOo**

Slade woke up.

How long had it been since he had that dream? Why did it keep appearing at the most random times? What were the spirits trying to tell him? Didn't they know that Slade Wilson took advice from no one...be they alive or dead? He had lived on this earth for nearly two hundred years, seen many events first hand...even those that were left out of the records.

Those ancient records that were carefully hidden by the Church of Blood...there were several accounts mentioned that he had probably witnessed. Because no one else could decipher the writings, they became revered...many of the cult members looked unto them as a sign of their god's return. The ignorant humans could not have known of the effort made to hide the dastardly deeds of the church.

But he knew just as much as the spirits...perhaps even more. Nothing the spirits knew could surprise him. Or so he thought.

Tonight, the ancestors were singing a different tune. A strange and rather enticing tune. This time, the spirits sang of another child, one whose roots were shrouded in darkness. One whose birth was orchestrated within the walls of that ancient church.

Slade refused to admit he was baffled. To admit confusion would be to admit defeat. No, he would have to listen more closely...and learn of this other child's identity. Perhaps this new information could be used to his advantage.

The darkened room was shrouded in an eerie silence, only the quiet ticking of a clock echoed in the room. If one listened closely, they would have heard the floorboards creaking down below...giving off the rather frightening sound of footprints.

Slade's dark blue eyes were closed in thought, and a rather twisted smirk was splayed on his shrouded face. His perfect, pearly white teeth glittered and glowed in the darkness...yet another testament to his hidden past. His teeth seemed sharp and deadly...almost like that of a vampire. He seemed almost insane. And perhaps he was.

Slade Wilson, in his own right, was a man who lived with constant paranoia and the ability to see and communicate with the dead. He had no control over this paranoia, rather Slade turned it to his advantage...how else could he have lived so long? And as for his odd ability, he had long since ceased in his quest to block the voices and intrusions.

The spirits, and souls of the dead will continue to haunt him as long as he continues to live. It was better to understand and cooperate with them. In turn, he was imparted with their knowledge and insight.

So tonight, he listened like he always had before. And once more...he was granted a vital piece of information. The identity of this 'other child'...who had been residing under his nose this entire time.

* * *

The mood in the room was permeated with anger...and defeat. Robin sat still on the black leather couch, his clasped hands shaking violently. He had long since dropped the paper Cyborg had handed to him...the results of all the tests that the cybernetic needed to perform. The dejected piece of paper now lay on the floor...staring up at him in innocence...

Robin couldn't look at it...he couldn't stand to see that stupid innocent piece of paper...which just happened to be the harbinger of bad news. The Boy Wonder didn't want to believe those results...he had asked Cyborg to run more tests... to double check the results. Every time, the outcome was the same.

How could Slade do such a thing? What had possessed him to take advantage of an innocent girl? Slade had never attempted anything like this before...he was strictly an assassin type. He was hired merely to kill people. Assault wasn't his MO.

Slade never did anything without a reason...it was one of the things that made him hard to predict. For him to commit this type of crime meant that he was planning something. It was either that or Slade had finally gone mad, the latter of which, had a very slim chance of ever occurring.

Slade was not the type to lose to a mental illness. There were times when Robin wondered if the villain was even human. Yes, Slade was planning something. However what he was planning wasn't really important now. What mattered was getting Raven back on her feet.

The loud and heavy crash from the med bay frightened the Boy Wonder. He wanted to believe that everything was fine...that when he walked in the room, Raven would be asleep and whatever fell would be replaced. He truly wanted to believe that.

But wishes don't come true...he realized this when he stepped into the room and took in the up-ended IV pole and the trail of bright red blood that glittered on the white tile floor. Panic set in and the titan frantically crossed the room, peering into all the corners. Raven was gone... he had to find her before it was too late.

Robin spun around and dashed across the room again, yanking open the doors to the supply room. The shiny glint of metal caught his eye. "Raven don't!" He crossed the room and grabbed her arm, trying to wrench the sharpened scissors from her trembling grasp. He couldn't understand...wasn't this the second time? Hadn't she tried to drown herself the other day? Why was she doing this?

The Boy Wonder fell to his knees, and stared into the darkness, trying to find her face. He wanted...no needed to see her eyes. He needed to understand why she was doing this... "Raven, please don't do this. Please don't." His voice shook and tears flooded his eyes.

The scissors clattered as they hit the floor and in the darkness a faint whimper echoed in Robin's ears. He sat silently, trying to mask the anger and the despair bubbling up in his heart. Why? What did Raven do to deserve this?

The tears dripped from his eyes and in frustration, Robin yanked off his mask, staring into the darkness with his piercing green eyes. Raven lurched forward, her head colliding with Robin's chest. The Boy Wonder gasped in pain and finally surrendered to the river of tears that spilled from his eyes.

"Raven...you can't leave us. Didn't we say... we're a team? That we'd... stick together till the end? Didn't we promise each other? So you can't do this now...you just cant!" Robin was rambling, his speech was choppy and uneven. Could she even understand what he was saying? Was he getting through at all?

"So d-don't do this...don't ev-ever do that... ag-again! We... n-need you here...I-I need you Raven." Robin's voice broke, and he too began to sob hysterically.

Cyborg found the two several hours later...fast asleep.

* * *

**A short but insightful chapter...not bad? Or is Slade's crazy flashback just horrible. (The account about Brother Blood and Raven is something that I believe almost happened in the comics.) When I learned of that account it made me chuckle, cause the Brother Blood from the cartoon was nothing like that.**

**Comment and tell me of your opinions. Is it blatantly obvious who the 'ancient sect' is? Is is obvious who the 'other child' is? Shall I keep it that way?**

**~heartless16**


	7. Chapter 7

**So I bring you the next chapter. If I gave them titles, this would be called 'Shadows and Intoxication' or something like that. **

**I hope that everyone is able to distinguish between the 'inhuman' Slade and the 'human' Slade. I plan to show scenes of him with the heartless scheming and ones with emotion. **

**Please tell me how the first scene was. I wrote it while visualizing a horror movie scene.**

**Chapter 8**

**Disclaimer: Look at Chapter 1**

* * *

Silence.

Darkness.

These were all that filled the teenager's senses. Ears strained at the slightest sounds, eyes glared at the never-ending darkness, sensitive nose searched for any unfamiliar scents. There was nothing here...a vast nothingness. Where was this place?

What was going on?

Small hands reached out feeling cold metal. Beneath was the scratchy cotton bed sheet and the small well-worn pillow. So this was the med-bay. No other bed would have such metal along the sides. And who would want this flat, worn pillow as a rest in the night?

Eyes finally adjusted to the stifling darkness and the teenager sat up, firmly grasping and pulling down the bars on the small hospital bed. Slowly the teen slipped out of bed ignoring the dull pain lingering in her waist. The sound of bare feet on the white spotless linoleum floor seemed to echo in the dark room and the teenager hurriedly darted out, grateful when her bare, freezing feet finally touched the carpeted grounds of the common room.

Through the heavy drapes, the light of the moon peeked through, casting strange shadows upon the floor. Strange shadows...Slade-like shadows.

The teen shrank into the corner, hands trembling from the sight. Shadows, right? Nothing to be afraid of, right? Simply shadows. A shadow was an area where direct light from a light source cannot reach due to obstruction by an object.

So...that shadow there, was simply a reflection of the bookshelf. And the one in that corner was just the reflection of the pleats on the drapes. That's all those were. Shadows. Areas that could not be touched by the light.

Bare feet shook with every step and pale hands shook violently. Purple eyes glanced around frantically, trying to make sure nothing jumped from the shadows. The rushing sound of her erratic breathing filled her ears and her chest pounded with every flail of her frightened heart.

One step, two steps, three steps...couldn't her feet move faster? Couldn't her knees knock less? Why were her legs suddenly tingly and wobbly? Why were her hands shaking like the autumn leaves? Why was she so afraid? There was nothing here...no one here. This place was empty. This place was void...void except for the shadows.

Shadows were harmless. Shadows were merely places that the light couldn't touch. Shadows were merely a reflection of the objects that obstructed light. The couch obstructed the pathway of the moon's light, the drapes obstructed the pathway of the moon's light...Slade could obstruct the pathway of the moon's light.

A terrified shriek left the teenager's bloody lip. Bare feet made a mad dash for the windows and shaky hands threw open the blinds. Light, glorious light flooded the room. The frightened, palpitating heart seemed to calm and the breathless lungs suddenly regained their composure. The shadows were gone!

The cold glass cooled the teen's already sweaty brow, and through the chilled glass the sight of the dark, menacing ocean greeted her. Purple eyes watched the swirling splashing waters below, mesmerized by its restlessness. The murky midnight-blue color of the ocean captivated and frightened her. That blue... that same restlessness...the ocean had become Slade's eye. That single dark blue and restless eye.

The teen sucked in a shaky breath, willing herself not to scream. She craned her neck, staring instead at the passive glow of the moon. Bare feet stumbled away from the glass. Wobbly knees gave way, and the teenager crumpled to the carpeted floor.

The sky...the cloudy, murky dark-blue sky! The sky...had become Slade's eye! That single dark blue and cloudy eye! Trembling hands wrapped protectively against the teen's heaving torso. Purple eyes watched in raw terror as the clouds began to shroud the moon's light. _No! _"No!" The shadows...they'll come back! Slade will come back!

The whoosh of the air vents filled the teen's straining ears and chilled her sweaty skin. Softly, the heavy window drapes were carried by the breeze and began to brush against the girl's small shaking shoulders. Through squinted eyes, the teenager watched the shadows dance menacingly. They came forward, out of their place against the wall, before receding back once more.

Forward and back. Forward and back. _Back and forth...back and forth. In and out...In and out._

The teen's body trembled. The pain deep within her surged forward once more. Purple eyes stared in terror as the shadow seemed to lurch forward, hands outstretched. Slade's hands. Those large, cold and brutal hands. He was back again! Why won't he leave me alone?

"Why, why won't you just let me be! Please! Let me be!"

The room was enveloped in total darkness. The heavy drapes ceased in their gentle movement, resting on the teenager's shaking shoulders. The weight was strange, unfamiliar and foreign. Just like _his_ hands.

A blood-curling shriek filled the shrouded room. There, standing in the darkened corner... Over there, behind the couch... Two more, walking around the bookshelf!

All surrounding her! All coming closer!

Purple eyes darted frantically, she needed to stand. To run away. But her feet won't move! Why? Why did they have to chose now to become immobilized? Shaking, pale hands darted out, waving erratically. _Stay away. Leave me alone. _"Stay away! Get away from me! Please, in the name of god let me be!"

The frightened girl suddenly found the strength to stand. She pulled herself up on trembling feet and stepped back, hiding herself within the heavy drapes. The four figures came forward, hands outstretched, no doubt with the intent to kill and destroy.

No, she won't let him win...she couldn't let him win, Not now...not ever. Purple eyes turned, staring through the cold glass window at the ground below. She turned her head, looking back at the shadow figures. The teenager turned and slammed into the glass window, tumbling out into the depths below. She fell, letting the rush of wind fill her ears and burn her eyes. As she descended, one shout pierced her heart.

"Raven!"

That voice wasn't Slade's.

* * *

Vodka, a small shot-glass and the dim lights of the wine bar were the only things that kept this young man company. In the distance, the sound of the roaring fire and the crackling of the wood logs met him. Why was he doing this? Drinking his sorrows away?

He wasn't supposed to have sorrows. To have a sorrow was to admit defeat. To feel regretful and remorseful was surely a sign of weakness. He was growing weak. And it was all the fault of those damn voices in his head!  
Trembling, unstable hands grabbed the bottle of vodka. With sloppy precision, the man poured some vodka into the small shot-glass. He watched in strange fascination as the liquid sloshed over the edge of the shot-glass. A drunken laugh escaped his lips.

He raised the glass, toasting to whatever spirit resided in the empty room before downing the drink. The young man sighed, reveling in the burning feeling as the drink slid down his throat. He was pathetic. Sitting here drinking- as if it will erase his dastardly deed.

Why did he listen to them? What had possessed him to contemplate trying to save a world that had wronged him several times over? Why did he feel that overwhelming sense of justice? What was it about those prophesies...that made him feel responsible? Yes, he had known for some time now that the world was in danger. It was his main reason for coming down here to Jump City. Because _they _told him to.

Those dammed spirits that haunted him. And he simply couldn't say no to the voices that had guided him for over seven hundred years. So he left the self-righteous city of Metropolis, deciding instead that Superman and his Justice League were 'no longer a challenge'.

He wanted a change of pace. And then he found him. The child...the protege of the Bat. The boy who thought that he could fool him. A bitter laugh escaped the man' lips. Such a stupid, fascinating boy! And now this. This prophesy that spelled doom for the world. This 'darkness' that rested within that stupid naive boy. And the girl whose child would stop it all.

So how, pray tell did he fit into the puzzle? How could he, a seven hundred year old man possibly have the keys to ending this new found apocalypse? There was a reason for killing that decrepit old priest. He killed Brother Blood because of what the man was planning. He knew what the prophesy said...and he needed to stop it. So he killed him.

He killed the old priest...but was he any better? Didn't he commit the same atrocity for which the man was killed? What then made him different?

Being somewhat immortal had its perks. And what better combination than the offspring of an immortal and the daughter of Trigon? Surely such a child would be born with immense power...enough to stop the upcoming apocalypse. Such was his reasoning. It was sound, reasonable and definitely a plan worth initiating.

And yet...guilt weighed heavily in his heart.

Try as he might, the young man couldn't erase the memory from his mind. The cold, pale skin, soft, child-like, innocent breasts and the breathy, frightened whimpers. How could he do such a thing? To have even contemplated committing such an atrocity was an insult to his daughter and his wife...

His wife...why did Raven look so much like his wife?

Why did Raven have that small petite face, those high cheekbones and forehead, the straight nose with the quiet flair in the nostrils and those full, rosy puckered lips?

The man stood suddenly to his feet, tipping over the empty vodka glasses and the small shot-glass. The sudden tinkering of the glass as it hit the table sent a jolt through the man's jaded memory. That picture...where did he keep that picture?

Shaky, unstable feet stumbled across the elaborately decorated room. There was that cashmere rug sprawled effortlessly on the beige carpet, the ornately designed sofa that the man nearly walked into and finally the cold, hard edge of the fireplace, which his toes slammed into mercilessly. Frantically, the young man shuffled through the albums resting on the ledge of the fireplace. Where was it?

Ah, here. He pulled out the photo, heart beating with an uncharacteristic fierceness. Murky, dark-blue eyes stared at the smiling dark-haired woman. A sharp pain built up in his chest as he stared at the woman's delicate petite face and full smiling lips. That day, they went to fly kites at the beach. He was there, Jericho and Grant were there... He threw the photo to the ground, dark-blue eyes filling with un-shed tears.

It was no longer his wife staring up at him, a happy smile in her eyes. Raven stared up at him now, purple eyes wide with fright and disbelief, face pale as death and a silent scream on her full, rosy lips.

Why? Why did he listen? How could he do such a thing? Tears slid down his cheeks, and the man clutched his chest, trying in vain to muffle the growing pain. He was a terrorist, a mercenary and a monster.

What was he now? What had he become? A rapist.

"I'm a r-rapist. Addie, what have I done?"

* * *

**So here is the fruit of my labor. ****Does anyone feel sorry for Slade? It is my intention that you sympathize with him. I love villains that are pitiful.**

**I think that we need a Raven POV...so please tell me how it should be done. **

**Please review!**

**~heartless16**


	8. Chapter 8

**After another long wait (forgive me) here is the next chapter.  
**

**The first scene is a dream of sorts...Raven will be recalling her ordeal in subsequent scenes till we know the whole truth. Because Raven had been missing for two weeks, I thought the flashbacks would be a good way to develop Slade and Raven's complicated and twisted relationship. **

**What do you think?**

**Chapter 8**

**Disclaimer: Look at Chapter 1**

* * *

_She woke to cold hard chains and a freezing concrete resting place._

_Eyes flitted frantically, ignoring the constant piercing pain on her shoulder. What difference would it make to dwell on such a thing? That dull knife had probably dislocated her shoulder completely. __Turning her head, the teenager stared in confusion when she realized that Slade had been there the whole time…undoing the chains? What would happen this time? Another torture session?_

_The teen opened her mouth to question the villain, but found that she probably couldn't speak even if she wanted to. How long had she been lying here…without food or water? How long had it been since he burned that awful symbol into her skin? Even now that mark still stung…an ache that would haunt her forever, no doubt. _

_She waited with a fearful tension as the man effortlessly lifted her from the cold floor and began to exit the room, walking from dim lighting…into perpetual darkness. Eyes darted about wildly, how did the man know where he was going? Could his vision be as good as hers was in the night? Was this man truly a vampire then? _

_No, he couldn't be…no vampire's embrace would be as warm as this. _

_This sensation of comfort…the feeling of security washing over her as she rested in the man's arms, only sickened her. Why would she feel this way…wasn't this man their sworn enemy? How then, could she feel safe in the arms of one who tortured her mercilessly? _

_Was this Slade's plan, then? To manipulate and coerce her into thinking he was an ally? No, it would never work…he of all people should know the impossibility of such a feat. The daughter of Trigon couldn't be taken down by psychological tricks. Neither would she succumb to torture and pain._

_She couldn't help the gasp of surprise when the man dropped her to the floor, and light flooded a tiny room. Sprawled on the freezing tiled floor, the teenager looked up violet eyes flickering with apprehension. __Funny how…tall the man looked from her place on the ground. Perhaps he knew this as well…why else would that infuriating smirk be plastered to his handsome face._

_ No doubt the villain was as narcissistic as he looked._

_Flinching, the teenager glared as the man bent down, trying to hide her bewilderment at the strange emotion in his dusky blue eye. __Confusion blossomed into fear when Slade reached out, burrowing his fingers into her matted purple locks. How could his hands be…so gentle? __Wasn't this the same man who beat and tormented her days ago? The teenager couldn't stop the moan that escaped her lips when his fingers stroked the bloody gash at the back of her head._

_Slade chuckled, "Steve hit you quite hard, didn't he."_

"_What do you want with me?" The titan demanded, praying her voice didn't betray any fear. She wanted to move away…to stand up and run but her feet were numb. She didn't know if it was from cold or fear. _"_I won't fall for these tricks. And whatever plans you have will never succeed. You don't scare me, Slade." The teenager hissed these words, violet eyes dark with anger. Inwardly, the sorceress smirked when that strange expression in the man's anger transformed to irritation._

_The man lifted a brow skeptically. "No?" Swiftly the man took hold of her arm and pulled the sorceress to her feet. Calmly, the man shoved the teenager into the hard concrete wall, blocking any hope for escape.  
_

_Raven screamed in anger, kicking in vain at the immovable villain. Was this his plan from the beginning? She struggled against the man's grasp, biting back tears as the man's tongue traced her ear and neck seductively. __Was this his goal then…to taunt and tease her simply because he could? Raven gritted her teeth in anger, she could feel the smirk on his lips, could sense the amusement in his dark deadly aura._

"_You don't fear me? How…touching." Slade hissed into her ear as he slipped his hand into the teenager's leotard. Slowly tracing the girl's breast, the man laughed. "Perhaps you should fear me. Or at least, fear the consequences of defying me." With that, Slade tore the flimsy clothing from Raven's slender frame. _

_A scream of horror left Raven's lips and she crumpled to the floor, at long last trembling before the villain. _

_Fear…it was this emotion she tried so hard to lock away, fought so hard to bury from this man's presence. How then could he unleash it so quickly? __In the suffocating silence, Raven stared up at the man, her tear-filled violet eyes meeting that one dusky blue orb. What was she expecting to see? _

_Some sick sense of satisfaction, maybe pride even…but not sorrow._

_Not remorse._

_"Why are you doing this?" The sorceress whispered…not really expecting an answer. "Don't tell me it's about Robin. We both know it's untrue." __Raven wasn't expecting the torrent of hot water to rain down upon her. Sputtering, the sorceress could only observe powerlessly as the man left the room, the heavy door locking behind him. __She couldn't help the icy chill that settled upon her, despite the soothing hot water. It was almost as if part of her died…lost to a terror that might never disappear._

_Try as she might, Raven couldn't stop shivering._

**oOoOo**

Half alive.

Did that even make any sense? How does one feel half alive? Do they then feel half-dead? Purple eyes flitted about the empty room, noting with abject disgust, the pristine white walls. Where was this, the psych ward? Why was everything so...so white? Why did she feel...so alone?

The teenager sat up, eyes taking in the cold metal chains around her wrists. Was this supposed to hold her down? A hoarse laugh escaped dry parched lips. The girl forcefully jerked her hands; the metal bindings snapped like parched dry twigs. Violet eyes stared at the cuts and scrapes that decorated her arms.

Where did these come from?

The young titan stood, ignoring the cold tiled floor and her aching muscles. She slowly tiptoed forward, violet eyes searching for the door. It blended in so well, this white door. Almost as if the others didn't want her to come out. If that was the case, perhaps she should stay here, and slowly die. Wasn't that what she wanted anyway? To die?

Dying wouldn't be as humiliating as living, would it?

Raven bit her lip as her stomach growled. When was the last time she'd eaten? And how could the others fix bacon for breakfast and not invite her? Violet eyes narrowed, and the teenager selected a suspicious segment of the wall, and gave it a vicious kick. A smirk spread on her face as it gave way, collapsing to the ground with a heavy thud.

How dare they try and hold her hostage!

Tossing her violet locks, the sorceress sauntered into the kitchen and seated her self at the table. So, there was bacon, eggs, pancakes...the works. Raven reached for everything at once, heaping her plate and filling a tall glass with apple juice.

"Raven, it's nice to see you so...lively." Robin spoke, a strange tone in his voice. Something like relief and amusement?

The sorceress didn't reply, as the bacon was more interesting than what Robin had to say. As long as he made no sudden moves, she couldn't care less.

"Raven! You're awake? X'hal be praised! I was getting worried...you were asleep for two whole days." Starfire smiled brightly, as she gently placed a hand atop Raven's own pale fingers.

The sorceress stared at the hand, so warm and inviting. So different from her own cold icy touch. Violet eyes glanced up at the Tameranian, and Raven smiled. How one remains ever so cheerful, the half-demon would never understand. The sorceress looked away, not wanting anyone to notice her blinking back tears. Is this what they call 'being blessed'? Having people around who care...who want to help? Knowing there was someone to lean on... someone to hold your hand?

Wouldn't it be great to feel like this forever?

**oOoOo**

His fingers couldn't stop shaking. Robin swallowed the lump in his throat and poised his fingers once more on the computer, determined to finish filing this report. How was he supposed to do this? How could he fill out such sensitive information about his teammate, knowing it would only bring unwanted attention?

The Boy Wonder punched his fists against the oak table, extremely frustrated. Why Slade? What the fuck were you thinking? Was this truly the result of insanity? The computer screen flickered as Robin pulled up another document. Aching fingers began to type again, adding more to Slade's ever increasing list of crimes. Assault and Battery. Kidnapping. Twelve counts of breaking and entering. Three counts of arson and vandalism.

Now a rape charge.

Robin bit his lip, closing the screen of his computer and sighing loudly. His bright green eyes glanced around the now darkened room; the only source of light had been the back-light from the computer. The teenager closed his eyes, trying to sort out the emotions whirling within his mind.

Revenge.

It was the only thing that occupied the Boy Wonder's thoughts. And with good reason. No one messes with his team and gets away with it. No one hurts Raven without suffering the consequences. The clock ticked quietly from some forgotten corner, its sound filling Robin with a strange sensation of urgency. He followed the sound, eyes taking in the dark shadows with boredom.

The dresser was there, its top bare except for his silver Rolex watch glittering in the dark. The clock was somewhere on the wall probably next to his calendar...the teen titans poster Starfire found on an escapade around town.

A breathy chuckle escaped the teenager's lips. The darkness cooperated with him...it shrouded him with comfort, caressed him with a chilling familiarity. Darkness was his ally, his confidant...his friend. Robin had been taught in darkness, he was raised in the absence of light, how else could he sit here so calmly, how else could he see so perfectly? A crooked smile spread on the Boy Wonder's face. Robin was the darkness...he was night. The shadows did his bidding, the creatures of the night bowed before him. All this power he held in his hands.

All but the power of time.

Robin clenched his fists in anger, a string of curses left his lips threateningly as he berated his ancestors. What was the point of these powers if he couldn't help his friends? Why couldn't they have given him something stronger...more powerful? Something to turn back the hands of time?

Time...if only time had been on his side. If only he could command the power of the clock...to turn back the dial, relive the past. Why couldn't he have the ability to control time? Maybe if he had it, Raven wouldn't have gotten hurt. If only he'd been fast enough to save Raven. She wouldn't have suffered; his team would still be safe.

Damn you Slade!

**oOoOo**

"Starfire, there is no need to treat me like a child. I'm fine now…promise." Raven reassured her friend, a small smile gracing the corners of her lips. "Are you going to paint my nails now? I'll let you use any color you want…even pink."

Starfire eyes the sorceress with concern. Wasn't she suicidal several days ago? Now she was asking for makeovers and a movie night? The alien turned away from the mirror, bending down to look for a suitable shade of polish.

Her fingers glossed over the messy pile of shades, absently staring at the many options. Bubblegum pink, ocean blue, emerald green, and a pretty amethyst shade. Oh, the exact color of Raven's eyes!

Closing the drawer, Starfire looked back at her friend, jade green eyes narrowing and the teenager's lips pursed in thought. Was this a way of coping? Behaving as if nothing had happened…was that healthy? Then again, didn't Cyborg say denial was the first step to recovery? Nah, it couldn't be the same with everyone.

Besides, she should be thankful...Raven was finally opening up, speaking for the first time since she threw herself from the Tower window. She hadn't seen her smile or even laugh in weeks! This was a moment to cherish...a time to feel normal again. A time to feel like nothing had happened...a time to forget.

"Ok! Which movie do you want? And we could maybe eat some popcorn too?" Starfire questioned, smiling at her friend.

Raven grinned as she climbed onto the bed, pushing the many throw pillows to the floor. A chuckle escaped the sorceress lips as she stared at the hello kitty pillow sporting one of Robin's masks sewn to its face. "Come." She motioned excitedly, violet eyes twinkling with mirth.

Setting down the bowl of popcorn, album of DVD's an the purple nail polish, the alien sat down beside her friend, eager to see just how this amethyst would match Raven's skin tone. Starfire was startled at Raven's tight embrace. Softly stroking the sorceress' back, Starfire quietly murmured. "Raven? Is all well?"

"Thank you Star…you don't treat me different. I just wanted things to be normal again…do normal things…feel normal. Thank, you." Raven whispered, her voice sounding tearful.

"Raven. I am your friend…it is what I do. Now, do we watch High School Musical, 17 Again or The Lucky One?" Starfire opened the DVD album and tapped her fingers on the three she decided they would watch. Turning, she grabbed a handful of popcorn and turned to Raven, a questioning look on her face.

Raven laughed. "Why does it matter…all you want is to see Zac Efron."

* * *

**Yea...Starfire loves Zac Efron. Can't really blame her though...**

**As a recap, Raven was missing for two weeks...and about two weeks has passed since she was found and the events of this chapter. Her ****recovery will be slow...after such an ordeal, ****I don't think anyone would be happy-go-lucky in a short time frame. ****Depression and suicide are probably very common side effects, and Raven is simply trying to forget everything and move on.**

**As for Slade, I think I have successfully established him as a person with split personality disorder. He will act normal at times, and psychotic, depending on the situation. **

**Review!**

**~heartless16**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Look at Chapter 1**

**So here is the next chapter...I apologize for the wait. **

**The relationship that Slade and Raven have is...strange at best. So I really want to take my time and write it out. It somewhat makes sense in my head, but it is hard to pen down. ****The only way I can explain it is through the lyrics from My Immortal.**

**And Slade is immortal so...**

* * *

_The hallway was unbearably cold._

_And the oddly transparent dress now draped across her frame didn't do much to warm the girl's chilled skin. Oh how she wished for her purple cloak! How she yearned to shroud herself within its folds, to shield her body from that man's wandering eyes!_

_Alas, the purple cloak was nowhere to be found… Raven bit her lip and continued moving, her eyes trained quizzically at the elderly man in front. Who was he? And why did he smell so…minty? The teenager couldn't recall ever seeing the man, until he appeared, shutting off the heated water, and goading her into the strange attire she possessed now._

_Ignoring the shivers that raced up and down her spine, Raven's eyes noted that this time, the lights were on…and the hallway looked less of a warehouse and more of the kind of hallway you'd see in the basement of a department store. What kind of building was she trapped in? __Speaking of trapped…if she turned to run, where would she go? The old man couldn't catch up, if she were to run suddenly…perhaps this was the escape she'd been wishing for?_

_"I wouldn't try to run, Miss Raven."_

_Violet eyes widened with astonishment. Could this man read minds? Or was he Slade in disguise? Pursing her lips, Raven quickened her pace; maybe she could understand more of this strange old man if she was closer? He certainly didn't seem harmful. "Where are you taking me? And why address me as 'Miss'?"_

_"You haven't eaten in a few days. We don't want you dying of starvation."_

_The sorceress clenched her teeth in anger. "Starvation…I should think to welcome such an end, surely it is better than whatever you two have planned? At least my death will be of my own choice."_

_"Perhaps…but I have my orders." With these words, the man pushed open a set of doors and ushered the teenager into what seemed to be a small kitchen…there was even a small table with chairs, placed exactly where a window should have been._

_Raven couldn't help but gape with wonder. Exactly where was she? Turning, the sorceress observed the bare concrete floor, noting that it was slightly warmer than in the hallway. The stove was on then, and was that coffee? Swallowing, the teenager resolved to refuse any food presented before her…poison might be on the menu. "If I may ask sir, why do you work for Slade? Are you not aware of the crimes he has committed?"_

_The elderly man turned, a huff of air leaving his mouth. Setting down a plate of food with a soft thud, the man spoke, a patient finality to his tone. "You must eat first, before asking questions. Now, come." With that, he steered the teen into a seat and slid a fork into her stunned hands. _

_Raven swallowed again. "How do I know this isn't a trap? What if this food is poisoned? I could eat this food and collapse." Her tone, though civil, carried a slightly defiant undertone, and she wondered how the old man would react. Would he force her to eat the food? Somehow, the man didn't seem very engrossed in the situation at all. _

_"Rest assured Raven, that when I want to kill you, I would simply snap your pretty little neck."_

_Whirling, Raven balked as Slade's alluring voice entered her ears. How did he appear in this place? And, oh gosh, no mask? In this bright light? All this time, the man's hair had been a startling platinum white color, instead of the light blond shadows she'd somehow fantasized in the dark. __Violet eyes traced the man's face, noting the faded scar running down the left side of his face and the dark eye patch obscuring his left eye. __The teenager couldn't help but wonder if the myth was indeed true. Did this man truly have one eye? Or was it simply a façade, a story he created himself to add to the mystery and intrigue of his name? _

_One thing was certain; the myths didn't lie about his attractiveness…in fact, they didn't quite seem to live up to the truth. Was it wrong for a villain to be so alluring? Was she to deny the strange temptation felt in tandem with her darker half? __Perhaps a meditation session was necessary. __Tearing her eyes from the man, Raven stared down at the plate of rice, broccoli and chicken. Was this breakfast, lunch or dinner? __Then again, didn't she eat rice everyday on Azarath, even for breakfast? Perhaps it was the broccoli…__Raven speared a floret and chewed tentatively. At least it was seasoned. "Will you answer my question now, sir? I am eating, as you see."_

_Raven couldn't stop the dark blush that stained her cheeks as Slade began to laugh. Why was he so amused? And why did his smile seem…so perfect? The way the corners of his eyes crinkled, the flawless set of white teeth and heart-stopping smile…it seemed too human. How can this man be a sadistic torturer, yet laugh so casually over a cup of coffee? Is this what they call 'split personality'?_

_Averting her eyes, the teenager concentrated on her food, stuffing in a few pieces of chicken in her mouth. 'Oh Azar, must he stare at me with such a face', Raven wailed internally. What kind of torture was this? Could this man be truly attempting to psychologically destroy her mind? __Swallowing with uncertainty, the teenager watched with wary eyes as the man stepped closer, that strange look once again flickering in his dusky blue eye. _

_What would he do this time?_

_Raven could only hold her breath as the villain's fingers descended, tangling themselves in her purple locks and softly tracing her pale face. Why were his hands so gentle, so caring? The same man who smiled with satisfaction as the hot iron seared into her skin...touching her with the hands of a lover? Why was he so different now? What had changed? __ The girl stared into the man's face, desperate to unlock the meaning behind such an intense gaze. __She only remembered to breathe after Slade's lips descended atop hers in a passionate kiss. Every bone in the young teen's body turned to mush as the man continued, pulling her from the chair and into a tight embrace._

_Alarmed and yet so confused, Raven's hands darted out, pressing against the man's well-muscled chest in vain. The girl's heart pounded frantically as the man's fingers wantonly delved between her legs, a soft whimper escaping from her lips when the man's tongue traced her neck. Skilled hands maneuvered the girl's body with precision, trapping her between the wall and his muscle-clad chest. _

_Now seated atop the table with no escape; Raven once again pushed at the man's immovable chest, flushing with embarrassment and shame. If only her body wasn't so disloyal…so in tune with her darker half, maybe she wouldn't be in this predicament now. __Another breathy moan left her clenched teeth; how could something so inappropriate feel so…pleasurable?_

_This man, whose hands were so skilled in the art of interrogation, who persecuted her mercilessly only nights before; now his fingers circled slowly, brushing against that spot with a teasing motion. __"L-Let me go. Please?" The young teen cried out, violet eyes filling with tears of embarrassment. What was his motive? Why couldn't she figure out what this man wanted? The teenager couldn't help whimpering as the man's tongue caressed her earlobe slowly._

_"You wish to be free? Then sing for me." Slade whispered, his deep seducing voice filling the teenager's body with delight; fingers caressing her core with increased vigor. "Sing for me Raven."_

_And sing Raven did._

**oOoOo**

Violet eyes flickered open, taking in the light blue ceiling of Starfire's room. She could hear herself, panting and gasping...heart racing as if she'd run a marathon. Violet eyes flickered shut in desperation, trying to regain control of her erratic breathing...and ignore the tingling heat pooling between her thighs.

Raven clutched the lavender blanket with shivering fingers, a cry of desperation escaping her pale quivering lips. Oh Azar, after all this time...and still she could feel his gentle hands roam her bare skin, still remember the softness of his lips. Why? What had she done to deserve such torment? Swiftly, the girl inhaled sharply, willing her frightened body to a calm state. Would meditation even help? Violet eyes closed in resignation...meditation didn't work while in captivity. Why would it suddenly help now?

Turning, the teenager stared at her red-haired friend, noting the girls slanting nose and softly curving jaw. Lightly sun-kissed skin glowed in the dim morning light and Raven marveled at the long reddish colored eyelashes that gently framed her cheeks. Starfire was beautiful...exotic. Nothing like that picture...nothing like that woman. Reaching out a shaking finger, Raven quietly traced over her friend's cheekbones, an odd smile fleeting across pale lips. "You don't look much like her at all."

Sitting up, Raven threw back the covers and slid out from Starfire's grasp, the strange smile still plastered to her face. Tip-toeing to the vanity, the violet haired teen sat down, staring at her image in confusion. "I don't look much like her either!"

Tilting her head, the teenager took in her slanted eyes and the sharp angles of her high cheekbones. A small frown settled on her face...did she lose a lot of weight? Funny how she never noticed. Eyebrows furrowed together, still trying to understand the mind of the strange man. But where was the resemblance? Her pale skin? The subtle flair of her nostrils? Maybe the perpetual rosy glow of her pouted lips? Clenching the tube of lipstick in her hands, Raven twisted off the top and glared at the blood red color, her anger rising sharply at the aggravating noises entering her ears.

Everything seemed to echo throughout the room; Starfire's calm breathing, the clock incessantly ticking away on the desk, the slow whir of the alien's fushia colored Mac Book pro; a generous gift from Bruce Wayne one Christmas ago. The room was filled with animation. Everything was alive...everything but that woman!

And it was this woman whose face Raven inherited.. this mask Slade craves so much? Staring back in the mirror? Such an unwanted burden! With slow movements, the teenager spread the color across her cracked lips and stared into the mirror once more. Violet eyes flashed with uncertainty, and the girl's lips trembled with trepidation. "Why do I look like her?"

"Raven, what's wrong?" Starfire sat up, eyes groggy with sleep. With a heavy sigh the teenager brushed back her hair, squinting through the dim light at the neon clock on the computer desk. Delicate eyebrows rose, and she turned back to her friend with a confused look. "It's only four in the morning. Come back to sleep." The red-haired titan patted the bed, a slightly patronizing look in her eyes.

Raven stared blankly at her friend, jaw clenching with annoyance. Did she think she was talking to a toddler? Turning back to the mirror, the teenager couldn't help but gasp in surprise, fear gripping her body as she recalled a frightful memory. The tube of lipstick fell to the floor as Raven fiercely scrubbed the dark red color onto her sleeve.

Eyes flashed as the teen turned sharply, shuffling back to the bed and seating herself uncomfortably close to the alien. Reaching out slowly, Raven's shaking fingers tangled themselves through fiery red locks, an odd glimmer in her violet orbs. A strange silence passed between the two young women, jade green eyes clashing with violet orbs. Neither one could deny the odd feeling that settled over them, the eerie sensation drawing them closer and closer together. Warm skin engulfing the cold, pallid forehead...noses colliding timidly. Pale lips fluttered across faded blood-red lipstick...once, twice...

And then the magic shattered.

Starfire reached out, hand grasping her friend's slim wrist. "Raven, you're scaring me." Squirming, the alien pushed Raven from her lap and stood, moving to the computer desk beside the door. The girl let out a shaky breath and her hands braced the wall tightly, refusing to look at her friend as she inquired, "What's wrong?"

"Did you know? I look like her..." Raven's whispered voice seemed to echo in the dimly lit room.

"Look like who, Raven?" Starfire's hands wrapped around a coffee mug, and nonchalantly, the teenager brought it to her lips, a brief aura of confusion passing across the girl's face. Softly the alien exhaled, tentatively sipping at the water in the light green mug. Ostentatiously, the teenager would glance up, not bothering to hide her disbelief and apprehension. Clearing her throat, Starfire stared down at her desk, shuffling papers with feigned interest.

"Slade's wife."

The cup slipped from Starfire's hands, shattering into pieces as it hit the hard-wood floor.

**oOoOo**

Beastboy stretched, olive green eyes staring with awe as he watched the sunrise. Turning, he cast his approving glance across the still empty room. The shadows were slowly receding, chased away by the rising sun. Quietly the teen padded over to the large window, peering out at the surprisingly still ocean. Was it always like that?

Calm, still and peaceful?

The crash that came from the kitchen startled the teen, and with hasty footsteps, he dashed in and skidded to a stop. "Raven?" Eyebrows scrunched in confusion. Was that broccoli in her hands? The boy dashed into the kitchen and skidded to a stop, eyeing the sorceress with wonder. What was she doing with broccoli in her hands? "What are you doing?"

Slowly Raven turned, stiffly moving her feet as if they were made of stone. She blinked, biting her lip with uncharacteristic nervousness. An odd look flashed across the sorceress' face. "I don't know...I just wanted broccoli." She closed the fridge, and sank to the floor, a groan of frustration fleeting from clenched teeth.

"But-but you never eat broccoli! All you eat is rice and meat!" Beastboy cocked his head, quietly rescuing the strangled florets from the sorceress' vise like grip. They were already smooched, might as well cook them, the shape-shifter thought as he turned on the light and began to wash the vegetable. "Um, Rae, how should I fix it?"

"I don't know. But there was ginger, and soy sauce." Raven mumbled, still curled up beside the sink. Obscuring her face between pale shaking hands, the sorceress let out a shaky breath. Peering back up at the shape-shifter, the girl mumbled quietly. "And don't call me Rae."

A half-smile spread on Beastboy's face. So that part of her hadn't changed...at least. Turning, he resumed the task of cutting off the broccoli stems, a glimmer of hope radiating in his heart. Will things finally go back to normal...well, maybe not normal. Raven never ate vegetables...perhaps this change would be good? Maybe she'd even try tofu! "OK, ginger and soy sauce it is...do you mind if I put it in the oven? It'll stay crunchy."

Raven looked up sharply, eyes glowing with recognition. "So that's how he did it."

A suspenseful silence floods the kitchen, punctuated only by the occasional hum of the now glowing oven. Illuminated by the ever-increasing sunlight, Beastboy finally took sight of Raven's trembling fingers and dilated pupils. Was she cold? Biting his lip, the shape shifter knelt down in front of his pale friend. Whispering softly the boy inquired, "That's how who did what, Raven?"

In the still silence, Beastboy held his breath, somehow feeling that the slightest sound would scare the girl away. His green eyes brimmed with unspoken emotion as they took in the faded burn marks twisting around her slender neck like chains. What had Slade done? The boy clenched his fist, trying to suppress his righteous rage. Why did she have to suffer like this? Beastboy raised his head slowly, green eyes clashing with empty violet orbs.

Empty, void...and broken.

At their own command, the boy's hand darted forward, fingertips shaking as they buried themselves in Raven's purple locks. Had her hair always been this thick and soft? Slowly he trailed his hand across her face, memorizing the outline of her cheekbones. Green eyes stared at his friend's face; this wasn't fair of him...to push all of his feelings on her. "Raven..." Beastboy whispered, voice trailing off at the odd glimmer sparkling in her violet eyes.

With uncharacteristic violence, Raven slapped Beastboy's hand away, eyes glowing with a strange emotion. Abruptly, the girl stood to her feet, fiercely berating the boy for his actions. "Don't EVER touch me like that! Don't ever LOOK at me like that again!"

From his seat on the floor, he could only stare in disbelief as she darted across the kitchen and ran into Starfire's unoccupied arms.

"Beastboy, what is wrong with her?" Starfire questioned, careful to avoid patting the girl on the head. "I called a meeting, there's something that I think the team will need to hear." Starfire inhaled the air. "Is that broccoli in the oven?"

The shape shifter sighed. "Don't even ask."

**oOoOo**

"What!"

Robin exclaimed, jumping to his feet now pacing frantically as he tried to absorb this revelation. "Slade has a wife?! That's impossible!" Whirling, he stopped in front of Raven, ignoring the way her shoulders seemed to droop dejectedly. Those words seemed to echo in the quiet room as everyone sat in nervous silence.

The Boy Wonder ceased from his pacing, eyes downcast as he pondered the strangeness of Starfire's revelation. A wife? Slade? The man who's homicide record rivaled that of Jack the Ripper? The villain who couldn't be stopped by even the Justice League? What was such a person doing, living a married life? A pang of guilt struck his heart and Robin's fingers clenched nervously. Lowering his voice, the Boy Wonder questioned,"You can't be serious. He was joking, right?"

Raven glanced into Robin's mask silently for several tense minutes before turning away, fixating her gaze on the plate of broccoli in front of her. The fork scraped across the plate in a slow, almost tired motion. Letting out what seemed to be a sigh of resignation, the sorceress timidly reiterated her stance, "Why would Slade joke about such things? He has a wife, a-and I look just like her."

"How do you know, Raven?" Cyborg asked, a quiet encouragement emanating in his voice.

The sorceress clenched the fork in her hands, and took another deep breath, eyes closing methodically. "I saw her picture...I really do look just like her." At these words, Raven's violet eyes found their way back to Robin's mask, this time with a look so intense, the teenager faltered in his relentless pacing.

Beastboy's voice range out, unexpectedly catching the titans off guard. "It was Slade who fixed you the broccoli, wasn't it!" A look of triumphant satisfaction washed over his features and Robin was surprised when Raven chuckled slightly. Perhaps it was a little funny, the image of an apron-clad Slade awkwardly standing in the kitchen, a head of broccoli in his gloved hands.

Turning to face the window, Robin bit back a laugh. Yes, Slade was many things...but a chef? What kinds of things would a person like Slade cook? Was he skilled in the art of French food? Italian? How would it taste? Robin pursed his lips as he stared out the window...perhaps he was over thinking the whole situation. Knowing Slade's culinary expertise didn't answer the important inquiries, such as what was Slade thinking, feeding a prisoner? Who kidnap a person, tortures them...and then cooks lunch for two?

It was absurd, wasn't it?

A small smirk playing on the corners of the purple haired titan, she replied, "He didn't make the broccoli, personally but..." Another laugh burst from her lips, then abruptly died when she perceived Robin's steely glare.

"He showed it to you?" Robin questioned, trying desperately to shake off the chills snaking up his spine at Raven's stare. "Can you tell us anything about where you were?"

A nervous laugh left the sorceress' lips. Smiling awkwardly she uttered, "I feel like I'm at the police station. Um, uh...I don't really know where I was. At one point I was in some warehouse place...then the basement of a corporate building? Maybe a mansion..I'm not really sure." Raven ducked her head, looking at Starfire anxiously.

"Hmm. And did Slade show the picture to you?" Robin questioned, hands clasped behind his back like Sherlock Holmes. Turning, the titan placed a hand on his chin, a contemplative look in his hidden eyes. Something didn't quite add up...Raven's story didn't seem complete. "How did you know it was his wife?"

The fork clattered against the plate, breaking the silence in the room. Raven's trembling hands curled into fists, and she tightly closed her eyes again, seemingly fighting for control. "I escaped from the room he locked me in...and found the picture by mistake. That's when he told me." A shaky breath flitted from her lips. "He told me, and then he..."

A somber silence filled the room, punctuated only by Raven's muffled sobs. "Y'know what he said? Slade told me if it wasn't for the prophesy, he'd never let me go."

Robin paled. "Prophesy? But hasn't Trigon been defeated?" The Boy Wonder mumbled out loud, not really expecting a reply. So Slade went through all this trouble...for a prophesy? Had this been his goal from the beginning? Was that man really so callous as to rape a defenseless teenager all in the name of a prophesy! Robin's feet were now frozen to the floor, trapped in the bitter realization that Slade was once again three steps ahead. Just how long had the man known about this prophesy?

Who knows how many years Slade had been planning, simply biding his time and waiting until now to make his move? Was this why he 'died' all that time ago? Nervously biting his lip, the Boy Wonder held his breath... ears straining to listen to the sorceress' foreboding whisper.

Raven whispered, her voice tainted with fear. "This is a different prophesy, Robin. And Slade tells me... it's all about you. This time, you'll destroy the world." The sorceress' eyes took on a strange almost maniacal look as she intoned with a seemingly sarcastic voice, "But don't worry. Slade will stop you...and this time, he'll save the world.

* * *

**I felt bad for Raven as I was writing this chapter. I didn't want her to appear crazy or unstable, but I think I did exactly that. Forgive me. **

**Also forgive me for giving BB a one sided crush. The scene just came out that way. You can blame Christina Perri and Jason Mraz in that wonderful song 'Distance' (The two will will not develop any relationship, however. Raven needs to save the world with Slade.)**

**As for broccoli, the best way to cook it is to toss with spices (like ginger, basil or whatever else you like), olive oil and soy sauce...then bake at 350 degrees for 3-5 minutes. Still crispy and no steamed veggie taste. (Try it...I DARE you)**

**What do you think of Slade's plan to save the world. Think he can do it? **

**Review! **

**~heartless16**


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